OPTJG 


■•<i/' 


ALL-OVER-THE-WORLD  LIBRARY 

By  OLIVER  OPTIC 


ZUusti'a.ted,  Price  per  Volume  $1.2^ 


FIRST   SERIES 
A  MISSING  MILLION 

Or  The  Adventures  of  Louis  Belghats 

A  MILLIONAIRE   AT  SIXTEEN 

Or  The  Cruise  of  the  Guardian  Moth«r 

A  YOUNG  KNIGHT-ERRANT 

Or  Cruising  in  the  West  Indifs 

STRANGE  SIGHTS  ABROAD 

Or  A  Voyage  in  European  Waters 


SECOND   SERIES 
AMERICAN  BOYS  AFLOAT 

Or  Cruising  in  the  Orient 

THE  YOUNG  NAVIGATORS 

Or  The  Foreign  Cruise  of  the  Maud 

UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

Or  Young  Adventurers  in  Afwca 

ASIATIC  BREEZES 

Or  Students  on  the  Wing 


THIRD  SERIES 
ACROSS    INDIA 

Or  Live  Boys  in  the  Far  East 

HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD 

Or  Among  the  Uncivilized 

FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

Or  Sight-Seeing  in  the  Tropics 

PACIFIC  SKORtS 

Or  AD\Ti:NTUREs  in  Eastern  Seas 


A:tv  Volume  Sold  Sepet»-atety 


LEE  AND  SHEPARD  Publishers  Boston 


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AH- Over-the- World  Series 


Up  and  Down  the  Nile 


OR 


YOUNG  ADVENTURERS  IN  AFRICA 


BY 

OLIVER  OPTIC 


M 


AUTHOR  OF       THE  ARMY  AND  NAVY  SERIES  '    "  YOUNG  AMERICA   ABROAD"  FIRST 

AND    SECOND   SERIES    "  THE    BOAT-CLUB   STORIES "    "  THE   GREAT   WESTERN 

series"     "the     WOODVILLE     stories"     "the    ONWARD    AND    UPWARD 

series"  "the  lake  shore  series"  "the  yacht-club  series" 
"the  riverdalb  stories"    "the   boat-builder  series" 

"  the  blue  and  the  gray  navy  series  "  "  THE  BLUE  AND 
THE  GRAY  ARMY  SERIES  "   "  A  MISSING  MILLION  "  "  A 
MILLIONAIRE  AT  SIXTEEN  "    "  A  YOUNG  KNIGHT- 
ERRANT  "      "strange    SIGHTS     ABROAD" 
"young  AMERICANS  AFLOAT  "  "  THE 
YOUNG     NAVIGATORS  "     ETC. 


BOSTON 
LEE   AND    SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1894,  by  Lee  and  Shepabd 


AU  Rights  Reserved 


Up  and  Down  the  Nile 


(\^ 


[o 


Q 


¥ 


\vf 


TO 
MT   GRANDDAUGHTER 

LILLIAN  ALICE  KUSSELL 

Otherwise  "  Picky  " 
tifjis  Folume 

WOT  EXACTLY  A  "GIRL'S  BOOK"  THOUGH  ITS  HEROIIfE 
IS  A  VERY  PRETTY  YOUNG    LADY 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


rAGE 


,-  Jf'roniispiece 

A  Pahabeah  on  the  JSll.^        ^         '  •        c         c 

"Now,  T^'HAT    !>'   THE    WORLD  ARE   YoU  UF    TO,  TlIX  ?  ''  SI 

"Tumble  Him  i>-to  His  Boat,  Dokald!''    . 

A  Street  Scene  in  Cairo       

«He  Lifted  The3i  Clear  off  the  Ground '^      . 
"Louis  Assisted  Her  to  Her  Seat"    .         .        •        - 
The  Colossal  Statue  of  Ramses  II     .        -        • 
Ruins  at  Phil^         .        .        ^        s        .        ^        - 


ITS 
19C 
207 
251 
312 
S3T 


PREFACE 


"UP  A^D  DOT\^  THE  XILE "'  is  the  third 
volume  of  the  second  series  of  the  "  All-Over-the- 
World  Library,'^  in  which  the  voyage  of  the  Guar- 
dian-Mother is  temporarily  suspended  at  Alexandria, 
while  the  excursionists  make  their  trip  up  and  down 
the  great  river  of  Egypt  in  another  steamer  more 
suitable  for  inland  navigation.  Although  the  story, 
which  has  been  a  prominent  feature  in  its  prede- 
cessors, is  somewhat  abbreviated  in  this  book,  for 
the  reason  that  more  space  was  required  for  the 
remarkable  history  of  the  oldest  existing  nation  of 
the  world,  and  for  the  wonderful  monuments  of  its 
ancient  people,  the  thread  of  it  is  still  continued, 
and  vill  form  the  basis  of  some  exciting  adventures 
in  the  next  volume. 

The  exploration  of  such  a  country  as  Egypt,  with 
its  delicious  climate,  its  rainless  skies,  its  extraordi- 

vii 


Vlll  PREFACE 

nary  testimonials  of  ancient  grandeur,  revealing  the 
artistic  taste,  the  astonishing  mechanical  skill,  and 
the  wonderful  patience,  perseverance,  and  persist- 
ency in  overcoming  almost  incredible  difficulties  in 
generations  of  the  human  race  that  existed  thou- 
sands of  years  ago,  would  seem  to  furnish  abun- 
dant interest  ever  for  young  readers  without  the 
stimulant  of  the  story. 

One  young  lady,  and  the  quartet  of  young  men 
from  fifteen  to  eighteen  years  old  who  have  called 
themselves  the  "Big  Four,"  are  students.  They 
attend  to  regular  studies  a  portion  of  the  time,  es- 
pecially when  the  ship  and  her  little  consort  are 
at  sea ;  and  when  the  party  are  engaged  in  sight- 
seeing, which  forms  most  of  their  occupation  in 
this  book,  they  are  still  students,  and  the  com- 
mander takes  the  greatest  pains  to  have  them  well 
instructed.  All  the  excursionists  are  students  in  a 
less  technical  sense,  and  all  of  them  are  employed, 
not  only  in  gratifying  their  curiosity,  but  also  in 
acquiring  knowledge.  Through  lectures  and  conver- 
sation the  history  of  Egypt,  ancient  and  modern,  is 
brought  out  to  a  considerable  degree,  as  well  as  the 
geography,  resources,  and  religion  of  the  country. 


PREFACE  ix 

Wliile  it  was  impossible  to  give  in  detail  the 
wonders  of  the  Museums  of  Bulak  and  Gizeh, 
some  of  their  prominent  curiosities  are  mentioned, 
particularly  some  of  the  latest,  and  perhaps  most 
important  discoveries  which  have  been  placed  on 
exhibition,  including  those  of  hardly  a  dozen  years 
since  they  were  brought  forth  from  the  gloom  of 
their  ancient  tombs.  It  seems  hardly  credible  that 
the  remains  of  the  particular  Pharaoh  who  perse- 
cuted the  children  of  Israel,  of  whom  the  young 
people  have  read  in  the  Bible,  should  be  still  pres- 
ent in  his  mummied  flesh  on  the  face  of  the  earth, 
as  our  party  gazed  upon  them. 

The  pyramids,  the  rock-tombs,  and  the  ruins  of 
the  temples,  more  or  less  decayed  by  the  stroke  of 
three  thousand  years  or  more  of  time,  have  been 
described  so  far  as  space  would  permit.  Cairo  and 
Alexandria  have  not  been  neglected,  and  the  man- 
ners and  customs  of  the  medley  of  people  in  Egypt 
have  received  attention. 

WILLL^l  T.   ADAMS. 
Dorchester,  RIass,,  April  11, 18i^. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 
A  Delightful  Occasion       .... 

CHAPTER  II. 
"The  Villain  of  the  Story"     . 

CHAPTER  III. 
Precautions  for  the  Future 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Mighty  Request  of  Felix  McGavonty 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  Night  Cruise  to  Settle  a  Question 

CHAPTER  VI. 
A  Fishing  Excursion  under  the  Stars     . 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Harbor  of  Alexandria 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Onslaught  of  the  Oriental  Beggars 

CHAPTER  IX. 
A  Patriotic  Orator  on  his  Feet 

CHAPTER  X. 
The  Inundation  and  the  Climate  of  Egypt 

xi 


PAGE 
1 

11 

21 
30 


40 


49 


59 


78 


88 


xii  CONTENTS 


PAGE 


CHAPTER   XI. 
An  Oriental  Visitor  in  the  Boudoir       ...      97 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Mission  of  the  Amateur  Detective  .        .        .    107 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
About  the  Dynasties  of  Egypt 116 

CHAPTER  XIY. 
Some  of  the  Modern  History  of  Egypt    .        .        .     126 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Excursion  of  the  Maud  to  Ramleh  .        .        .    136 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
A  Rainy  Day  on  Board  the  Guardian-Mother      .    145 

CHAPTER   XVII. 
The  Translation  of  the  Arabic  Letter         .        .    155 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
An  Excursion  about  Alexandria     ....    165 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Another  Agent  of  the  Moorish  Enemy   .        .        .    174 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Walks  and  Talks  in  the  City  of  Cairo  .        .        .183 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Something  about  Cairo  and  Camels         .        .        .    193 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
A  Donkey  and  Carriage  Ride  in  Cairo  .        .        .    203 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
The  Citadel  and  the  Tombs  of  the  Khalifs  .        .    212 


COKTEISTS  XIU 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
A  Visit  to  Bulak  axd  its  Museum     ....    222 

CHAPTER   XXV. 
Ax  Overture  from  the  Chief  Conspirator    .        .     232 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 
The  Procession  for  the  Pyramids    ....    242 

CHAPTER   XXVII. 
A  Lecture  from  the  Back  of  a  Camel     .        .        .252 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
Ascent  of  the  Pyramid  of  Cheops    ....    262 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 
Wanderings  in  the  Streets  of  Cairo       .        .        .    272 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
A  Missing  Young  Millionaire 281 

CHAPTER   XXXI. 
The  Adventure  in  the  Muski 291 

CHAPTER   XXXII. 
The  First  Day  on  Board  a  Nile  Steamer        .        .    300 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
The  Necropolis  of  Ancient  Memphis        .        .        .    310 

CHAPTER   XXXIV. 
Ruins  of  Temples  and  Piles  Stupendous         .        .    320 

CHAPTER   XXXV. 
Karnak,  the  Colossi,  and  Phil^      ....    330 

CHAPTER   XXXVI. 
The  Hall  of  the  Royal  Mummies      .        .        .        .841 


UP  AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 


CHAPTER   I 

A    DELIGHTFUL    OCCASION 

"I  SUPPOSE  Captain  Royal  Ringgold  knows  where 
he  is,  and  as  long  as  we  follow  the  Guardian-Mother 
the  Maud  will  be  all  right,"  said  Louis  Belgrave,  the 
sole  owner  of  the  larger  steamer,  though  he  was 
serving  in  the  capacity  of  a  deck-hand  on  board  of 
the  smaller  one. 

"And  perhaps  I  know  where  we  are  just  as  well 
as  Captain  Ringgold  does,"  replied  Captain  George 
Scott  Fencelowe,  a  young  man  of  eighteen,  who  was 
at  the  wheel  in  the  pilot-house  of  the  Maud.  "I 
suppose  when  a  fellow  knows  a  simple  fact,  he  knows 
it  as  well  as  anybody  else  can." 

"  If  you  absolutely  know  where  you  are,  you  are 
correct,"  added  Louis. 

"  I  absolutely  know  where  we  are ;  I  mean  that  I 
am  certain  of  our  position,  and  I  should  be  a  fool  if 
I  did  not  know  it,"  argued  Captain  Scott,  as  he 
directed  his  spy-glass  to  the  south,  where  the  land 

1 


r  «•  •     *       »     • 

,     ,      #     •   t  t     - 
• •       »     »»   •     • 


•      •     « 


OT   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 


was  in  plain  sight.  "  You  can  see  that  fort  on  an 
island,  which  is  Fort  Adjemi ;  and  off  to  the  east 
north-east  you  can  see  the  principal  lighthouse, 
though  there  are  two  more  of  them  within  the 
harbor." 

"  I  see  that  you  are  reading  the  substance  of  what 
you  say  from  the  plan  of  the  harbor  of  Alexandria, 
which  you  have  cut  out  of  your  chart/'  suggested 
Louis  with  a  laugh. 

"  I  don't  claim  that  the  knowledge  of  this  locality 
was  born  into  me  when  I  came  into  this  world ;  and 
what  I  know  about  it  I  obtained  from  hard  study  of 
the  chart,  the  plan  of  the  harbor  of  Alexandria,  and 
the  book  of  sailing  directions,"  replied  the  captain,  a 
little  nettled  at  the  remark  of  the  deck-hand. 

"I  know  you  have  been  the  most  diligent  of  stu- 
dents, Captain ;  and  after  I  have  seen  you  poring  over 
your  charts,  measuring  on  them,  and  figuring  out  the 
results  of  your  inquiries,  I  am  not  a  bit  surprised 
that  you  absolutely  know  where  you  are.  After  sail- 
ing three  or  four  thousand  miles  with  you  in  the 
Maud,  I  have  never  known  you  to  be  off  the  track 
even  in  a  fog,"  said  Louis  earnestly. 

"  Thank  you,  Louis  ;  that  is  hearty,  and  pleasant 
to  my  sense  of  hearing.  I  can  only  say  that,  if  I 
haven't  gone  wrong,  it  is  only  because  I  love  navi' 
gation,  and  have  given  my  whole  head  to  the  study 
of  it,"  returned  Ca23tain  Scott. 

"  The  Guardian-Tvlother  has  stopped  her  screw  ! " 
exclaimed  the  millionaire,  suddenly  dropping  the 
subject  of  conversation. 


A   DELIGHTFUL   OCCASION  3 

"  We  will  run  up  a  little  nearer  to  her  before  we 
follow  her  example,"  added  the  young  commander  of 
the  Maud. 

"Of  course  this  is  the  coast  of  Egypt,"  continued 
Louis,  as  he  gazed  at  the  low  shore,  hardly  more  than 
a  couple  of  miles  distant. 

"  IN'o  doubt  of  it.  You  have  not  seen  your  mother 
for  a  week,  and,  as  the  sea  is  smooth  here,  I  will  run 
alongside  of  the  ship,  so  that  you  can  go  on  board  of 
her  at  once.  Morris  will  be  as  glad  to  see  his  mother 
as  you  will  be  to  see  yours,"  said  the  captain,  as  he 
headed  the  little  steamer  for  the  Guardian-Mother. 

"  We  are  neither  of  us  babies,  though  I  shall  be 
happy  to  see  my  mother  again,  as  I  always  am." 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  mother,"  added  the  captain,  with 
something  like  a  sigh.  "'If  I  had  had  one  the  last 
dozen  years,  I  am  sure  I  should  have  been  a  better 
fellow." 

"  You  are  as  good  a  fellow  as  any  of  us  now ;  and 
we  have  three  ladies  on  board  the  ship,  who  are  all 
the  same  as  mothers  to  you,  for  they  think  the  world 
of  you,  to  say  nothing  of  a  sweet  sister  in  the  person 
of  Miss  Blanche,"  replied  Louis  lightly,  as  the  captain 
rang  the  speed  bell  to  slow  down  the  engine. 

"  She  is  too  lovely  a  girl  to  be  any  fellow's  sister 
except  Morris's.  Yon  would  not  be  quite  willing  to 
have  her  for  your  sister,"  answered  the  captain  with  a 
significant  chuckle.  "'  Stand  by  to  heave  the  bow 
line  !  "  he  added  sharply. 

Louis  hastened  to  obey  the  order  ;  and  he  was  always 


4  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

as  obedient  as  though,  he  had  been  a  beggar  instead  of 
a  millionaire. 

"  Stand  by  the  stern  line,  Flix !  "  called  the  com- 
mander at  the  door  of  the  pilot-house. 

"  Oj,  oy,  sur ! ''  responded  the  Milesian,  who  was 
the  other  deck-hand. 

Morris  Woolridge,  who  was  the  first  ofiicer  of  the 
Maud,  came  forward  at  this  time.  Pitts,  the  cook  and 
steward,  came  out  of  the  galley  to  assist  if  needed. 
Seated  on  the  rail,  near  the  engine-room,  was  John 
Donald,  the  second  engineer,  whom  all  called  "  Don," 
with  a  book  in  his  hand,  whose  pages  were  covered 
with  strange  characters,  which  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  first  officer  as  he  passed  him. 

"  Are  you  reading  Chinese,  Don  ?  "  asked  Morris. 

"  Kot  a  bit  of  it ;  I  am  not  up  to  that,  sir,"  replied 
the  engineer. 

"  But  what  you  are  reading  looks  like  the  tracks  of  a 
fly  that  had  escaped  from  an  inkstand,"  added  Morris. 

"  It  is  Arabic,"  said  Don.  "  I  have  not  had  to  talk 
or  read  it  much  lately,  and  it  slips  away  from  me  like 
an  eel  from  my  hands." 

"  I  should  think  it  would ;  for  it  seems  to  be  made 
up  of  hooks  and  eyes,  including  that  '  hump,'  sickles, 
and  fish-hooks." 

"  But  they  all  stand  for  sounds." 

"  Never  mind  ;  I  don't  want  to  learn  such  a  lingo  as 
that." 

"  I  bought  this  book  in  Cons'ti'ple  when  I  was  told 
that  we  were  coming  to  Egypt,  and  I  have  been  study- 
ing it  the  last  three  months." 


A   DELIGHTFUL   OCCASION  5 

"  Then  you  will  be  able  to  do  my  talking  for  me  on 
tbe  Nile,"  said  Morris,  as  the  captain  struck  the  gong 
to  stop  the  screw. 

On  board  of  the  Guardian-Mother  all  the  cabin 
party  had  gathered  on  the  upper  deck,  and  the  ladies 
were  vigorously  waving  their  handkerchiefs,  while 
the  gentlemen  flourished  their  sea  caps.  It  had  been 
the  longest  separation  of  the  members  of  the  round- 
the-world  excursion  since  they  sailed  from  New  York, 
about  a  year  before. 

"  Get  out  the  hunters,  if  you  please,  Pitts,"  called 
the  captain.     "  Heave  up  the  bow  line,  Louis  !  " 

The  line  was  promptly  caught  by  the  seamen  of 
the  ship,  and  made  fast.  The  little  steamer  had  come 
up  under  the  lee  of  the  other,  and  the  hunters  pro- 
tected both  of  them  from  any  injury  in  the  slight 
swell.  The  gangway  steps  were  lowered  before  the 
Maud  was  made  fast. 

"  Come  on  board  !  "  shouted  Captain  Einggold. 

The  "  Big  Four "  understood  to  whom  this  order 
applied,  though  no  names  had  been  mentioned.  Louis 
led  the  way,  followed  by  Morris,  for  both  of  them  had 
mothers  on  board,  and  the  two  others  were  close  be- 
hind them.  Mrs.  Belgrave  folded  her  son  in  her  arms, 
and  kissed  him  as  though  he  had  been  a  baby ;  but 
the  stalwart  young  man,  though  he  weighed  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds,  did  not  rebel  at  this  maternal 
demonstration ;  on  the  contrary,  he  returned  the 
kisses  of  his  mother  as  heartily  as  they  were  given. 

Morris  Woolridge  was  rather  more  afraid  of  being 


6  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

called  a  "  baby,"  and  thougli  his  mother  was  hardly 
less  demonstrative  than  Mrs.  Belgrave,  he  was  some- 
what chary  of  his  labial  endearments  ;  but  he  ap- 
peared to  satisfy  his  maternal  parent  that  he  Bad  not 
parted  with  his  affections  during  his  absence.  Louis's 
mother  wanted  to  see  more  of  him  before  she  resigned 
him  to  the  commander,  who  stood  ready  to  take  his 
turn  with  his  owner ;  and  the  lady  was  reasonable 
enough  to  turn  her  boy  over  to  him. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Belgrave,"  said  Captain 
Kinggold,  as  he  warmly  grasped  the  hand  of  the 
young  man. 

In  the  presence  of  the  ship's  company  he  always 
gave  him  this  simple  title,  though  he  addressed  him 
by  his  given  name  when  they  were  alone,  for  he  made 
a  great  deal  of  the  dignity  of  the  owner  of  the 
steamer. 

"1  believe  you  have  been  growing  fat  since  I  saw 
you  last,  Mr.  Belgrave,"  he  added. 

"We  have  had  excellent  food  on  board  of  the 
Maud,  and  Pitts  is  a  good  cook.  I  hope  my  physical 
condition  will  be  regarded  as  a  sufficient  testimonial 
to  the  skill  of  the  worthy  fellow  who  presides  in  our 
galley,"  replied  Louis.  "But  I  don't  think  I  have 
gained  over  fifty  pounds,  and  am  in  no  present  danger 
of  outweighing  Uncle  Moses." 

"  I  cheerfully  give  you  my  permission  to  kick  the 
beam  of  the  scale  against  me,"  interposed  Uncle 
Moses,  who  was  the  young  man's  trustee,  the  keeper 
of  his  million  and  a  half,  which  had  made  him  a  mil- 


A  DELIGHTFUL  OCCASION  7 

lionaire  at  sixteen,  as  he  thrust  in  his  great  fat  hand 
where  his  ward  could  grasp  it,  wliich  he  did  with 
energy  enough  to  make  himself  felt.  "  I  really  be- 
lieve you  have  added  something  to  your  avoirdupois 
since  I  saw  you  last  in  the  harbor  of  Malaga." 

Mrs.  Blossom,  the  companion  of  his  mother,  was 
the  next  of  the  party  to  present  herself  before  the 
young  millionaire.  She  had  been  Squire  Moses  Scar- 
burn's  housekeeper,  with  whom  Felix  McG-avonty  had 
been  brought  up;  and  she  had  subjected  him  to  more 
embraces  and  kisses  than  the  subject  of  them  cared 
to  endure,  causing  him  to  break  away  from  her  be- 
fore she  had  satisfied  the  longings  of  her  affectionate 
nature. 

"  0  Louis,  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you  and  Felix ! " 
she  exclaimed ;  but  the  owner  of  the  ship  fell  back 
before  she  had  an  opportunity  to  hug  him  as  she  had 
his  crony.     "  It  makes  me  feel  like  home." 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  homesick,  Mrs.  Blossom,"  re- 
plied Louis,  as  he  saw  Dr.  Hawkes,  the  surgeon  of  the 
ship,  and  rushed  towards  him  to  avoid  being  a  victim 
of  the  good  lady ;  for  he  thought  she  rather  overdid 
the  business  of  hugging  and  kissing,  which  was  all 
right  to  any  extent  with  his  mother.  "I  hope  you 
are  very  well,  doctor,"  he  continued,  as  he  took  the 
proffered  hand  of  the  medical  gentleman. 

Uncle  Moses  had  insisted  that  Dr.  Hawkes  and 
himself  were  on  board  of  the  steamer  in  the  capacity 
of  ballast ;  for  there  had  been  a  difference  of  only  a 
quarter  of  a  pound  in  their  weight  "vrhen  they  sailed 


8  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

from  New  York,  the  trustee  weighing  two  hundred 
and  twenty-six  pounds  and  a  half,  the  surgeon  exceed- 
ing this  weight  by  four  ounces.  Both  of  them  were 
exceedingly  jolly,  as  full  of  fun  as  boys  of  twelve. 
The  doctor  called  the  lawyer  Brother  Avoirdupois, 
while  Uncle  Moses  had  named  the  other  Brother  Adi- 
pose Tissue ;  and  in  the  cabin  they  rarely  used  any 
other  names. 

"  I  am  very  happy  to  see  you  in  such  excellent  con- 
dition, Mr.  Belgrave,"  replied  the  doctor.  "Do  you 
know,  I  have  been  in  a  sort  of  terror  ever  since  we 
sailed  from  Malaga  ?  " 

"  Indeed !  I  am  very  sorry  for  that,  and  I  hope  I 
am  not  responsible  for  it;  for  I  should  have  jumped 
overboard  if  I  had  thought  I  had  done  anything  to 
excite  a  fear  in  the  mind  of  a  gentleman  as  courageous 
as  I  know  you  are,  doctor." 

"  Courageous  ! "  exclaimed  the  surgeon.  "  I  haven't 
courage  enough  to  fit  out  a  small-sized  mosquito." 

"  You  have  done  what  no  other  person  on  board  of 
this  ship  would  dare  to  do,"  protested  Louis. 

"  What  was  that  ?  "  demanded  Dr.  Hawkes,  sus- 
pecting that  his  meditated  joke  had  gone  wrong. 

"  You  have  cut  off  a  man's  leg ;  and  I  am  sure  any 
other  man  would  rather  fight  a  snake  forty  feet  long 
than  do  such  a  thing." 

"  I  have  cut  off  a  hundred  of  them,  and  it  required 
no  courage.  But  you  are  responsible  for  my  terrors, 
and  I  am  grateful  to  you  for  coming  on  board  in  such 
a  vigorous  condition  of  body,"  said  the  surgeon.     "We 


A  DELIGHTFUL  OCCASION  9 

have  had  some  rough  weather  during  the  last  seven 
days,  and  I  have  been  in  mortal  terror  lest  the  mil- 
lionaire owner  of  the  Guardian-Mother  should  get  sick, 
tumble  down  a  hatchway,  be  wounded  by  Algerine 
pirates,  or  that  some  such  calamity  should  happen  to 
you." 

"Any  of  these  things  might  have  frightened  me, 
but  why  they  should  disturb  one  who  has  the  courage 
to  cut  off  a  man's  leg,  I  can't  see." 

"  Don't  you  see  that  I  should  have  been  obliged  to 
go  on  board  of  the  Maud  to  attend  to  your  case ;  and 
that  would  have  compelled  me  to  climb  down  the 
gangway  into  a  little  boat,  and  be  jerked  about  by  the 
angry  waves.  I  am  not  as  nimble  as  I  was  when  I 
was  of  your  age,  and  I  would  rather  have  cut  off  a 
dozen  legs  than  risk  my  corporosity  in  the  first  cutter, 
or  even  in  the  barge.  I  am  truly  grateful  to  you  for 
keeping  well,  and  not  tumbling  down  the  hatchway," 
said  the  surgeon  as  he  retreated  to  the  rear  of  the 
group. 

Louis  went  to  the  Woolridges,  sorry  that  the  rather 
far-fetched  joke  of  the  doctor  had  kept  him  so  long 
from  meeting  them.  He  took  the  hands  of  the  heads 
of  the  family,  and  as  he  rushed  to  Miss  Blanche, 
there  was  a  blush  on  her  cheeks  which  Captain  Scott 
noticed  if  the  young  millionaire  did  not.  But  Louis's 
cheeks  were  quite  as  red  as  those  of  the  beautiful 
young  lady.  If  her  parents  wondered  whether  or  not 
the  owner  and  Miss  Blanche  were  not  becoming  too 
fond  of  each  other,  they  never  said  anything  on  the 


M 


10  UP   AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

subject.  Even  tlie  young  man's  mother,  who  had  care- 
fully warned  her  son  not  to  think  too  much  of  Miss 
Blanche  when  he  was  comparatively  a  poor  young 
fellow,  had  never  alluded  to  the  matter  during  the 
voyage. 

Everybody  shook  hands  with  everybody  else,  and 
had  some  pleasant  words  to  say ;  and  even  Mrs. 
Blossom,  though  the  outpourings  of  her  abundant 
affection  had  been  rejected  by  Felix,  declared  that 
it  was  a  "delightful  occasion." 


"  THE    VILLAIN   OF   THE   STOllY  "  11 


CHAPTER   II 
"the  villain  of  the  story" 

After  Louis  Belgrave  had  shaken  hands  with  all 
the  officers  of  the  Guardian-Mother,  Captain  Ringgold 
called  him  into  his  private  cabin.  The  seamen  had 
cheered  him  the  moment  he  put  his  feet  on  the  deck, 
and  he  was  treated  as  though  he  had  been  a  lord  in- 
stead of  a  simple  American  boy,  as  he  regarded  him- 
self, made  a  millionaire  by  his  grandfather  before 
him,  and  without  any  effort  on  his  own  part. 

"  What  are  we  doing  out  here,  Captain  Ringgold  ? 
I  see  you  are  flying  the  signal  for  a  pilot ;  why  don't 
he  come  on  board  and  take  tlie  ship  into  the  harbor  ?  " 
asked  Louis,  as  the  commander  seated  himself  at  his 
desk. 

"I  suppose  you  have  to-day's  ship's  time  in  your 
pocket,  my  boy  ;  what  is  it  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"Quarter-past  five,  sir." 

"  Where  does  the  sun  happen  to  be  just  now  ?  " 

"The  sun  has  gone  down;  and  it  was  a  beautiful 
sunset,  only  we  had  not  time  to  look  at  it." 

"  iSTobody  in  the  Orient  is  ever  in  a  hurry  to  do  any- 
thing, as  you  have  learned  before  this  time.  Besides, 
the  pilot  will  not  come  off  this  evening,  and  it  would 


12  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

do  no  good  to  do  so,  for  we  can  go  into  port  only  by 
daylight.  There  are  three  passes,  or  channels,  by 
which  the  harbor  may  be  reached,  and  all  of  them  are 
narrow,  rocky,  and  dangerous.  We  can't  go  in  before 
to-morrow  morning." 

^'  I  thought  we  should  see  something  of  the  city  of 
Alexandria  to-night,  at  least  what  could  be  seen  from 
the  deck  of  the  ship.  It  is  rather  stupid  lying  off 
here,  where  nothing  is  in  sight  but  a  lighthouse  and 
the  tops  of  several  towers,"  added  Louis. 

"  For  my  part,  I  was  rather  glad  that  we  should 
have  a  little  breathing-spell  before  we  enter  upon 
the  business  of  sight-seeing  again,"  replied  the  com- 
mander with  a  pleasant  smile,  of  which  he  always 
had  a  bountiful  supply  for  the  owner. 

He  was  almost  as  fond  of  the  young  man  as  though 
he  had  been  his  own  son.  Louis  was  a  model  youth 
in  every  respect,  and  he  could  not  help  respecting 
him ;  for  the  commander  was  a  very  high-toned  gentle- 
man himself.  He  had  been  led  into  intimate  associa- 
tion with  his  young  companion  by  a  mere  accident, 
and  together  they  had  fought  their  way  through 
some  perilous  adventures.  He  had  found  that  Louis 
was  as  brave  as  a  lion  in  danger,  and  as  peaceable  as 
a  lamb  in  his  ordinary  relations  with  everybody. 
They  were  the  strongest  of  friends. 

Mrs.  Belgrave  was  now  hardly  thirty-five  years  of 
age,  and  she  was  accounted  a  very  attractive  woman. 
She  was  as  good,  high-toned,  religious,  as  she  was 
handsome.     She  had  been  a  model  mother  to  her  son 


*'  THE   VILLAIN   OF   THE   STORY  "  13 

and  only  child,  and  had  brought  him  up  in  the  "  way 
he  should  go.''  Mother  and  son  were  wholly  devoted 
to  each  other ;  in  fact,  the  degree  of  affection  subsist- 
ing between  them  was  something  remarkable.  Even 
some  of  the  party  in  the  cabin  had  whispered  pleas- 
antly that  the  commander  loved  the  son  for  the 
mother's  sake. 

They  were  mistaken.  Captain  Kinggold  was  fond 
of  the  boy  because  he  was  his  ideal  of  what  a  young 
man  ought  to  be.  Millionaire  as  Louis  was,  he  never 
put  on  any  airs,  was  always  respectful  and  kind  to 
others,  and  never  willingly  hurt  the  feelings  even 
of  the  humblest  who  came  into  relations  with  him. 
Mrs.  Belgrave  was  little  given  to  the  vanities  of  this 
world,  had  been  a  church-member  from  her  girlhood, 
though  she  was  not  a  bigot  nor  a  fanatic.  She  be- 
lieved that  religion  was  enjoyment,  and  that  it  could 
be  carried  even  into  innocent  amusements;  so  that 
she  was  one  of  the  liveliest  members  of  the  cabin 
party. 

It  was  generally  believed  in  Von  Blonk  Park,  the 
town  in  which  she  had  lived  all  her  life,  that  Mrs. 
Belgrave  could  marry  any  man  she  pleased.  While 
the  widow  of  Louis's  father,  she  had  thrown  herself 
away  upon  a  man  who  was  utterly  unworthy  of  her, 
and  had  been  redeemed  from  her  infatuation  by  her 
son  ;  but  she  gave  no  one  an  opportunity  to  approach 
her  on  this  delicate  subject.  If  anything  could  be 
judged  from  appearances.  Captain  Einggold  had  a 
very  high  respect  and  regard  for  her,  and  his  atten- 


J» 


14  UP  AND  DOWN   THE   NILE 

tions  to  her  were  constant  and  earnest.  But  neither 
lie  nor  the  lady  ever  said  a  word  or  gave  a  hint  that 
would  enlighten  others  on  this  interesting  question. 
Certainly  Louis  had  no  suspicion  that  the  attentions 
of  the  captain  meant  anything  at  all. 

"  I  think  we  have  had  considerable  breathing-time 
the  last  week/'  said  Louis.  "But  I  have  no  doubt 
we  shall  have  a  good  time  in  the  cabin  this  evening. 
By  the  way,  Captain  Ringgold,  has  it  occurred  to  you 
that  there  are  just  thirteen  of  us  when  all  are  present 
at  the  table  ?  " 

"I  have  had  occasion  to  count  them  more  than 
once  ;  but  what  of  it  ?  "  inquired  the  commander. 

"  It  is  an  unlucky  number  to  sit  at  table  together," 
replied  Louis  with  a  smile  which  was  intended  to 
acquit  himself  of  being  unduly  impressed  by  the 
fact. 

"  Fiddledy  dee  ! "  puffed  the  captain. 
"But  I  knew  a  gentleman  in  Von  Blonk  Park  of 
fine  education  and  high  standing  in  society  who  would 
no  more  sit  down  at  table  in  a  party  of  thirteen  than 
he  would  jump  into  the  sea,"  replied  Louis. 

"  Of  course  it  is  all  nonsense ;  and  I  believe  there 
is  a  club  of  thirteen  in  New  York  City  who  dine 
together  regularly  for  the  very  purpose  of  proving 
that  the  superstition  is  simply  ridiculous,  though  I 
have  met  educated  men  who  cling  to  the  belief.  I 
could  tell  you  enough  in  my  own  experience  to  con- 
vince you  that  the  idea  is  absurd  and  ridiculous," 
answered   the   commander.     "I   once   commanded   a 


"THE   VILLAIN    OF    THE    STORY "  15 

steamer  in  tlie  cabin  of  which  thirteen  persons  sat 
down  to  table  together  three  times  a  day  for  sixty 
days.  The  ship  went  into  port  all  right,  and  I  have 
not  yet  heard  of  the  death  of  any  one  of  this  '  baker's 
dozen.' " 

"  1  don't  believe  in  any  superstition,  not  even  that 
the  tenth  wuve  of  the  sea  is  bigger  than  any  other," 
added  Louis. 

"  That  is  a  profitless  subject  to  talk  about ;  and  if 
any  or  all  the  thirteen  should  die  within  a  year,  the 
number  would  not  have  anything  to  do  Avith  their 
decease.  To  change  the  subject,  before  we  left 
Malaga,  as  you  know,  I  assigned  an  Egyptian  sub- 
ject to  every  gentleman  and  one  lady  on  board  of  the 
Guardian-Mother,  and  to  the  '  Big  Four  '  on  board  of 
the  ]\[aud,  and  each  one  was  to  be  prepared  to  deliver 
himself  of  his  information  as  soon  as  we  anchored  in 
the  harbor  of  Alexandria.  I  had  to  excuse  Mr.  Wool- 
rid"-e,  though  I  have  seen  him  looking  over  the  books 
and  maps  in  the  library.  We  shall  doubtless  be  in 
port  to-morrow,  and  I  hope  the  'Big  Four'  have 
attended  to  this  matter.'' 

"  They  have,  sir  ;  and  even  Flix,  who  pretends  that 
he  is  no  scholar,  though  he  had  a  very  good  standing 
at  the  Academy,  has  given  considerable  attention  to 
study,"  replied  Louis. 

"  I  advised  both  your  mother  and  your  trustee,  the 
latter  to  purchase  this  steamer,  and  the  former  to 
engage  in  this  voyage  round  the  world,  more  as  a 
means   of   education   for  you  than   as   an   extended 


16  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

frolic,  and  my  conscience  would  reproach  me  for  doing 
so  if  we  neglected  the  instruction  it  is  capable  of 
giving  to  you  and  the  rest  of  the  party.'^ 

"I  can  say  that  I  have  attended  closely  to  my 
studies  all  the  time  except  when  we  were  engaged  in 
actual  sight-seeing." 

"  And  then  quite  as  much  as  when  you  were  en- 
gaged in  study  with  the  book  in  your  hands.  What 
may  be  called  our  unconscious  study  is  quite  as 
important  in  our  intellectual  progress  as  that  which 
we  pursue  systematically.  In  fact,  we  are  learning 
something  during  all  our  wakeful  hours." 

"  I  believe  that  with  all  my  might,  though  I  never 
thought  of  the  matter  before.  My  subject  was  '  The 
Nile,'  and  I  have  searched  all  the  books  within  my 
reach  for  information  in  regard  to  this  river,  and 
some  of  the  facts  in  regard  to  it  have  surprised  me. 
I  hope  the  pilot  will  come  on  board  early  enough  in 
the  morning  to  get  us  into  the  harbor  before  noon." 

"  I  hardly  expect  to  come  to  anchor  inshore  before 
noon,  though  the  pilotage  fee  for  the  ship  may  hurry 
up  the  pilots,  and  give  us  one  in  good  time,  and  possi- 
bly one  may  come  on  board  to-night.  But  I  called 
you  into  my  room  to  speak  about  another  matter. 
AVe  have  seen  nothing  of  the  Pacha  or  any  of  his 
minions  since  we  left  Zante,  and  I  hope  he  will  not 
come  down  upon  us  here,  though  I  acknowledge  that 
I  expect  to  see  or  hear  from  him  in  Egypt ;  for  he 
must  be  to  some  extent  at  home  here,  where  the 
Mohammedan  religion  prevails,  and  there   must  be 


"THE   VILLAIN   OF   THE   STOKY  "  17 

some  sympatliy  between  this  country  and  Morocco. 
The  Pacha  "  — 

"Excuse  me,  Captain,  but  how  do  you  spell  that 
word  ?  "  interposed  Louis,  who  had  been  somewhat 
exercised  in  regard  to  the  orthography  of  the  word. 

"  You  pay  your  money  for  your  dictionary,  but  you 
don't  have  to  pay  anything  for  choice  in  spelling  such 
words  as  the  one  I  mentioned,"  replied  the  com- 
mander. "  I  have  always  written  it  P-a-c-h-a,  perhaps 
because  I  read  Captain  Marryatt's  book,  ^  A  Pacha  of 
Many  Tales,'  when  I  was  a  youngster,  and  it  was  so 
spelled  in  that  work.  I  suppose  the  author  intended 
this  title  as  a  pun,  for  Turkish  magnates  had  their 
rank  indicated  formerly  by  one,  two,  or  three  horse- 
tails borne  before  them  in  public,  on  a  sort  of  cross 
surmounted  by  crescents.  My  dictionary  prefers 
Pacha,  Webster  inclines  to  Pasha ;  but  all  of  them 
leave  you  to  take  your  choice.  It  is  also  written 
Pachaw,  Pashaw,  and  Bashaw  ;  and  if  there  is  any 
other  possible  way  to  spell  it,  you  may  include  that  in 
the  list." 

"  My  French  dictionary  has  it  in  your  way." 

"  Then  of  course  it  must  be  right,"  added  the  cap- 
tain with  a  laugh ;  for  his  owner  was  a  good  French 
scholar,  and  spoke  the  language  fluently  after  years 
of  study  with  native  teachers.  "JSTow,  to  leave  the 
shadow  for  the  substance,  I  am  really  afraid  Ali- 
Koury  Pacha  may  step  on  the  stage  of  action  agaia 
either  in  these  waters  or  on  shore." 

"  I  suppose  we  needn't  mince  the  matter  in  spea»- 


18  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

ing  of  it,  Captain  Einggold/'  said  Louis  very  seri- 
ously. "Do  you  believe  the  Paclia  is  really  in  love 
with  Miss  Blanche  Woolridge  ?  '' 

"  I  do  not  believe  he  is  capable  of  the  emotion  of 
love,  as  we  understand  it,"  replied  the  commander 
quite  as  seriously  ;  for  he  knew,  though  he  never  men- 
tioned it,  that  the  young  man  was  deeply  interested 
in  the  direction  of  the  beautiful  maiden,  who  had 
been  his  fellow-passenger  on  board  of  the  Guardian- 
Mother,  and  sometimes  in  the  Maud.  "I  do  not 
believe  he  is  in  love  with  her,  and  have  never  believed 
it.  He  is  an  immensely  wealthy  Moor,  has  served  in 
high  civil  and  military  positions,  I  was  informed  in 
Madeira  and  Gibraltar." 

"  We  can  have  no  doubt  that  he  is  a  very  powerful 
Pacha,"  added  Louis  ;  "  but  his  character  is  vilian- 
ously  bad ;  and  for  that  reason  w^e  could  have  nothing 
to  do  with  him  ;  and  certainly  I  could  not  allow  him 
to  come  in  contact  with  our  lady  passengers,  least  of 
all  with  Miss  Blanche.  I  have  run  away  from  him 
not  less  than  three  times,  for  which  I  have  been  a 
little  ashamed  of  myself,  though  I  may  find  it  advis- 
able to  do  so  again  if  it  can  be  done  without  any  sacri- 
fice of  our  plans  and  purposes." 

In  the  course  of  the  voyage  round  the  world  the 
Guardian-Mother  had  visited  Mogadore,  an  Atlantic 
port  of  Morocco.  Mr.  Woolridge  was  accompanying 
the  steamer  in  his  sailing  yacht,  with  all  his  family 
on  board.  The  powerful  Moor  had  visited  the  ship 
while  the  yachtman's  family  were  on  board  of  her. 


"THE   VILLAIN   OF    THE   STORY "  19 

He  had  come  in  state,  in  a  magnificent  barge.  He 
was  not  known  then,  and  as  he  spoke  English  fluently 
he  was  introduced  to  all  the  party. 

It  was  soon  observed  that  he  was  very  devoted  in 
his  attentions  to  Miss  Blanche,  who  was  really  an 
innocent  child  of  sixteen.  The  Pacha  invited  the 
party  to  his  palace,  and  promised  to  obtain  a  firman 
that  would  enable  them  to  visit  mosques  and  other 
places  ordinarily  closed  to  "  Christian  dogs."'  But  Mrs. 
Woolridge  did  not  like  the  attentions  bestowed  upon 
her  daughter,  and  was  alarmed.  She  talked  with  her 
husband,  and  he  shared  her  fears.  He  spoke  to  the 
commander  about  the  matter.  He  had  not  kept  his 
eyes  closed,  and  he  "  took  the  bull  by  the  horns,"  and 
at  daylight  the  next  morning  the  steamer  towed  the 
yacht  to  sea,  and  they  sailed  for  Madeira. 

The  Pacha  followed  in  his  steam-yacht  of  four  hun- 
dred tons.  Among  the  Portuguese  friends  the  party 
made  at  Funchal,  Captain  Ringgold  learned  the  true 
character  of  his  late  Moorish  guest ;  and  before  the 
Fatime,  as  the  Pacha's  yacht  was  called,  had  been  a 
day  in  port,  the  Guardian-Mother  and  the  Blanche 
went  to  sea.  The  Mahommedan  mas-nate  followed  to 
Gibraltar,  where  the  information  in  regard  to  the 
character  of  "  His  Highness "  was  fully  confirmed. 
He  approached  the  commander  there  in  a  conciliatory 
manner ;  but  the  captain,  while  treating  him  in  a 
polite  and  gentlemanly  way,  refused  to  have  anything 
to  do  with  him,  or  to  permit  him  to  meet  his  lady 
passengers. 


20  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

The  commander  spoke  plainly,  and  bluntly  gave  the 
reason  for  his  action,  which  so  enraged  the  Moor  that 
he  attacked  him  in  a  street  of  Gibraltar,  backed  by 
four  of  his  servants.  But  the  stalwart  seaman  up- 
set him  and  his  minions,  pitching  the  magnificently 
dressed  Pacha  into  the  muddy  gutter.  The  Maud, 
with  the  "Big  Four"  on  board,  was  sent  to  sea  at 
midnight,  and  the  ship  followed  her  in  due  time. 
The  Moor  seemed  to  be  animated  by  a  feeling  of 
revenge  now  rather  than  by  any  other  motive. 

At  Constantinople  he  had  employed  a  Moorish  cap- 
tain to  persecute  the  party,  with  the  especial  purpose 
of  capturing  Miss  Blanche  or  Louis,  or  both  of  them, 
as  fully  related  in  a  preceding  volume.  This  was  the 
"  villain  "  of  the  story,  —  the  Pacha,  assisted  by  Cap- 
tain Mazagan  and  other  agents,  whom  the  commander 
did  not  wish  to  encounter  again. 


PRECAUTION'S    Foil   TliH    FLTLltE  21 


CHAPTER   III 

PRECAUTIONS    FOR    THE    FUTURE 

Several  attempts  had  been  made  by  Captain  Maz- 
agan  and  his  accomplices  to  obtain  possession  of  the 
persons  of  the  young  millionaire  and  the  houri,  as 
*'  His  Highness  "  called  her ;  but  the  vigilance,  energj^, 
and  decision  of  Captain  Einggold,  assisted  by  Scott, 
Louis,  and  Felix,  had  defeated  the  schemes  of  the 
conspirator,  who  had  been  shaken  off  three  months 
before  when  the  ship  and  her  puny  consort  sailed 
from  Zante. 

It  was  really  marvellous  that  in  all  the  plots  and 
conspiracies  through  which  the  party  of  thirteen  had 
passed,  only  four  persons  were  aware  of  the  purposes 
of  the  conspirators.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woolridge,  Morris 
and  Miss  Blanche  had  no  suspicion  that  the  object  of 
the  attacks  by  the  felucca  or  the  armed  men  on  shore 
was  the  capture  of  the  fair  maiden  and  Louis,  one  or 
both.  Mrs.  Belgrave  had  no  idea  that  her  son  was  in 
particular  danger.  If  she  had  known  the  whole  truth, 
probably  it  would  have  brought  on  a  recurrence  of 
her  nervous  malady,  of  which  Dr.  Hawkes  appeared 
to  have  cured  her. 


22  UP   A^D   DOWN   THE   KILE 

It  was  not  the  "Big  Four"  that  possessed  this  niO' 
mentous  secret,  for  Morris  Woolridge  was  one  of  them, 
and  it  was  feared  that  he  might  tell  it  to  his  father 
or  mother.  The  commander  believed  that  if  Mrs. 
Belgrave  and  the  Woolridges  knew  of  the  peril  that 
surrounded  them,  they  would  all  be  ver}^  miserable, 
and  the  knowledge  of  it  on  their  part  might  bring  the 
cruise  as  projected  to  an  end.  The  party  had  been 
anxious  to  visit  the  Holy  Land,  from  Jaffa  to  Beyrout. 
The  captain  had  full  confidence  in  his  ability  to  pro- 
tect his  passengers  under  all  ordinary  circumstances, 
and  had  fully  justified  this  feeling ;  but  in  such  a 
journey  as  that  through  Syria,  he  realized  that  his 
resources  would  be  likely  to  fail  him,  and  he  had 
promptly  vetoed  the  project. 

But  he  did  not  give  his  real  reason  for  refusing  to 
entertain  the  idea ;  but,  as  the  wise  physician  conceals 
from  his  nervous  patient  the  nature  of  his  malady, 
he  was  silent  as  to  his  real  motives.  It  was  already 
the  month  of  December  when  the  Guardian-Mother 
approached  the  shores  of  Egypt,  and  the  Syrian  tour 
would  make  them  too  late  to  go  up  and  down  the  Nile 
at  the  best  season ;  besides,  two  of  the  ladies  were  not 
accustomed  to  riding  horseback,  and  it  would  be  quite 
impossible  for  such  bulky  personages  as  Uncle  Moses 
and  Dr.  Hawkes  to  travel  in  this  manner. 

The  captain's  reasons  seemed  to  be  sufficient  to 
compel  them  to  abandon  the  trip,  and  it  was  very 
reluctantly  postponed  to  some  future  period.  The 
secret  was  still  kept  inviolably  ;  for  the  three  members 


PRECAUTIONS   FOR   TPTE   FUTURE  23 

of  the  "  Big  Four  "  band  fully  realized  that  a  whisper 
of  it  might  break  up  the  voyage,  and  their  personal 
interest  fortified  their  discretion.  But  the  considera- 
tion of  the  wish  of  the  party  had  brought  the  Pacha 
and  his  agents  to  the  captain's  attention  at  this  early 
stage  of  the  visit  to  the  land  of  Egypt. 

During  the  three  months'  cruise  of  the  steamers 
from  port  to  port  on  the  Mediterranean,  the  four  who 
were  in  possession  of  the  secret  kept  a  vigila^nt  look- 
out for  the  Fatime,  and  for  the  Pacha  himself.  But 
the  cities  of  Europe  were  not  favorable  for  the  opera- 
tions of  "  His  Highness  "  and  his  agents.  Mussulmans 
were  rather  at  a  discount  when  they  interfered  with 
enlightened  civilization,  and  they  were  all  efficiently 
policed ;  and  nothing  had  been  seen  of  the  Fatime, 
and  no  one  had  been  identified  as  his  agent.  But  the 
party  were  going  to  a  region  more  favorable  to  the 
Pacha's  tactics,  and  the  most  diligent  watchfulness 
must  be  exercised.  No  one  could  imagine  in  what 
form  a  new  attempt  to  carry  out  the  purpose  of  the 
enemy  might  be  made,  and  the  commander  deemed  it 
necessary  to  charge  anew  his  only  assistants  in  ward- 
ing off  an  attempted  attack  to  renew  and  increase 
their  vigilance. 

^^  Perhaps  you  have  discovered  that  one  of  your 
^Big  Four'  has  considerable  talent  in  the  capacity 
of  a  detective,"  continued  the  commander. 

'^  Of  course  you  mean  Flix,  for  I  have  noticed  that 
he  has  a  taste  in  that  direction,"  replied  Louis.  "  He 
was    the   first   to  discover  the  Pacha  in   Constanti- 


24  UP  AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

nople,  and  the  first  to  determine  that  the  Samothraki 
meant  mischief." 

He  alluded  to  the  fast-sailing  felucca  which  had 
followed  the  party  through  the  Dardenelles  and 
through  the  Archipelago,  her  crew,  under  Captain 
Mazagan,  attempting  to  board  the  Maud  when  she 
had  all  the  passengers  on  board. 

"  And  he  was  the  first  to  snuff  that  French  detec- 
tive in  Athens,"  added  the  captain.  "  Before  we  left 
Malaga  I  had  some  talk  with  him  in  regard  to  the 
Pacha  and  his  movements.  He  had  seen  nothing  of 
him  or  any  of  his  gang.  I  told  him  that  Egypt 
would  be  especially  favorable  to  his  operations,  and  I 
warned  him  to  keep  a  close  lookout  for  the  Fatime  on 
the  voyage,  and  especially  as  we  approached  these 
shores." 

"  He  said  nothing  to  me,  but  I  think  he  has  obeyed 
his  orders  ;  for  every  time  a  sail  hove  in  sight,  he 
rushed  for  his  spy-glass.  I  have  seen  him  doing  the 
same  thing  since  we  came  on  board  of  the  ship." 

"I  have  wished  a  dozen  times  that  Captain  Penn 
Sharp,  now  of  the  Viking,  were  on  board  of  the  Guar- 
dian-Mother," continued  the  commander. 

"  He  is  doing  better  now,"  replied  Louis  with  a 
smile. 

"  So  he  is  ;  but  his  coming  on  board  of  the  ship  as  a 
quartermaster  was  the  beginning  of  his  fortunes.  He 
had  been  a  very  skilful  detective  for  many  years  in 
New  York,  and  nothing  but  the  failure  of  his  health 
would  have  tempted  him  to  leave  his  profession.     He 


PKECATJTIONS    FOR    THE    FUTURE  25 

worked  up  your  mother's  case,  and  then  married  the 
divorced  wife  of  Scoble,  after  she  had  inherited  a 
princely  fortune  from  her  uncle." 

"Six  o'clock,  and  there  is  the  dinner-bell,*'  inter- 
posed the  owner.  ••  You  have  not  told  me  yet  what 
you  are  driving  at  on  this  detective  business.'* 

'•  Time  enough  yet,  for  we  have  to  lie  here  all  night, 
and  the  '  Big  Four '  will  sleep  in  their  own  state- 
rooms," added  Captain  Einggold,  as  he  rose  from  his 
chair,  and  led  the  way  to  the  boudoir,  from  which  the 
grand  staircase  descended  to  the  state  cabin,  as  they 
were  called  on  the  original  plan  of  the  steamer. 

'-  Where  is  Flis  ?  "  asked  Louis,  as  he  met  Scott  in 
the  gangway. 

'•  He  is  fooling  with  a  spy-glass  on  the  upper  deck ; 
and  I  should  think  the  fellow  was  studying  to  be  an 
optician  from  the  amount  of  time  he  gives  to  the 
glass,"  replied  Scott,  laughing. 

Louis  understood  the  matter  better,  and  he  went  to 
the  upper  deck  instead  of  to  the  cabin.  He  found 
Felix  very  busy  with  the  glass,  though  it  was  getting 
rather  dark  to  see  anything. 

"  What  are  you  about,  Flix  ?  Didn't  you  hear  the 
dinner-bell  ?  "  he  asked.  "  You  know  that  punctual- 
ity is  enjoined  upon  all  of  us." 

"I  heard  it ;  but  just  now  I  am  busy,  and  you  will 
have  me  excused  for  a  few  minutes,"  replied  Felix, 
still  straining  his  eye  at  the  instrument  in  his  hand. 

"  You  are  engaged  in  your  mission,  Flix,  and  you 
shall  be  excused,**  added  Louis  in  a  low  tone. 


26  UP   AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 

"  What  mission  ?  Who  told  you  I  had  any  mission 
except  to  keep  praties  from  spoiling  ? "  demanded 
Flix,  apparently  startled  by  the  question. 

"  Captain  Ringgold.  But  I  think  you  can  come  to 
dinner  now,  for  your  absence  will  provoke  some  ques- 
tions, especially  from  Mrs.  Blossom,  who  is  a  mother 
to  you." 

"  She  is  one  of  the  best  women  in  the  world ;  but 
she  overdoes  her  mothering.  I  will  go  with  you, 
darling ;  but  I  have  a  mighty  request  to  make  of  the 
captain,  and  you  must  make  it  for  me,  for  you  are 
the  millionaire  and  a  half  that  owns  the  ship." 

"  Never  mind  the  mighty  request  now,  and  we  will 
talk  about  it  after  dinner." 

"  Just  as  you  like,  and  I  will  go  with  you,"  replied 
Felix,  as  he  returned  the  glass  to  the  brackets. 

The  party  were  not  yet  seated  at  the  table,  but 
were  standing  behind  the  chair;  for  the  captain  had 
been  detained  by  one  of  the  officers  in  the  boudoir. 
But  he  appeared  in  a  few  moments.  Every  person 
knew  his  place,  for  all  the  chairs  were  numbered  the 
same  as  the  staterooms,  and  the  same  figures  w^ere  on 
the  napkins ;  an  arrangement  made  by  Mr.  Melanc- 
thon  Sage,  the  chief  steward.  Sparks  and  Sordy,  the 
stewards  in  the  cabin,  welcomed  the  "  Big  Four," 
who  had  been  absent  a  whole  week,  as  they  seated 
them.  The  commander  said  a  very  brief  grace ;  for 
l^.Irs.  Bel  grave  and  Mrs.  Blossom  could  not  have  eaten 
their  dinners  if  this  grateful  acknowledgment  had 
been  omitted. 


PRECAUTIONS    FOR   THE    FUTURE  27 

The  dinner  was  an  excellent  one,  as  it  always  was, 
though  the  accomplished  head  steward  had  not  had 
access  to  a  market  for  seven  whole  days.  With  the 
soup  camo  abundant  conversation.  The  captain  sat 
at  the  head  of  the  table,  with  the  back  of  his  revolv- 
ing chair  against  the  mainmast.  Louis  was  on  his 
right,  the  place  of  honor,  though  he  always  resigned 
it  when  distinguished  guests  were  present.  On  the 
owner's  right  sat  Mrs.  Belgrave,  who  had  two  thou- 
sand questions,  or  less,  to  ask  her  boy,  as  she  was 
very  apt  to  call  him.  The  commander  had  arranged 
the  places  at  table  in  accordance  with  his  own  ideas 
of  etiquette. 

While  Louis  appreciated  his  seat  at  the  side  of  his 
mother,  who  was  more  to  him  than  any  other  human 
being,  he  sometimes  envied  Felix,  who  sat  at  the  left 
of  Miss  Blanche  ;  but  he  would  not  have  hurt  the  feel- 
ings of  his  mother  by  changing  places  with  his  crony, 
even  if  the  opportunity  had  been  presented  to  him. 
Mrs.  Blossom  would  have  been  happy  to  change  places 
with  anybody  if  it  would  put  Felix  at  her  side ;  but 
the  Milesian  would  not  have  enjoyed  the  situation 
then,  in  spite  of  his  respect  and  regard  for  the  good 
lady.  She  was  too  lavish  in  her  endearments  to  suit 
his  taste,  and  she  would  not  have  permitted  him  to 
keep  a  secret  from  her  if  any  amount  of  teasing  could 
have  drawn  it  out  of  him.  Felix  was  not  exactly  a 
"mother-boy,"  as  Louis  was,  though  his  maternal 
parent  was  more  reasonable  in  her  requirements. 

"I  hope  all  the  lecturers  I  appointed  for  the  sym- 


28  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

posium,  if  our  meeting  is  entitled  to  this  modern 
name,  though  I  find  it  means  a  party  engaged  in  a 
drinking  bout  —  " 

"  I  don't  think  the  conference  for  which  we  were 
to  prepare  ourselves  will  admit  of  that  name,"  in- 
terposed Professor  Giroud,  who,  though  a  French- 
man, was  an  authority  in  English.  "A  symposium,  as 
used  in  recent  years,  means  a  collection  of  opinions 
on  a  given  subject,  generally  given  in  print,  though  I 
suppose  they  may  be  expressed  verbally." 

"  Thank  you,  professor ;  and  I  will  not  give  my 
meeting  that  name  again,'-  added  the  captain.  "  But 
I  hope  3^ou  are  all  ready." 

"  I  am  for  one,"  said  Mr.  Woolridge,  to  whom  no 
subject  had  been  assigned,  as  he  asked  to  be  excused. 
"  As  you  gave  me  no  topic,  I  selected  my  own.'^ 

All  the  company  applauded ;  for  the  gentleman  had 
formerly  been  a  sporting  character,  and  had  very 
little  taste  for  literary  matters,  though  he  was  well 
educated. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  changed  your  mind,  Mr.  Wool- 
ridge," added  the  commander,  when  the  applause  sub- 
sided. 

''  I  did  not  decline  to  take  part  because  I  was  not 
willing  to  do  my  share  in  the  meeting,  but  because  I 
feared  you  would  give  me  a  subject  beyond  my  capa- 
city to  treat.  If  you  had  given  me  the  Arabic  lan- 
guage, I  should  have  broken  down  under  the  load. 
My  subject  is  horses,  mules,  donkeys,  and  camels." 

"I  will  add  it  to  the  list  of  subjects ;  and  I  am  sure 
you  will  treat  it  as  an  expert." 


PRECAUTIONS   FOK   THE   FUTURE  29 

^'  Where  have  you  been  all  the  time  since  you  landed 
on  board  of  the  steamer,  Felix  McGavonty  ?  "  asked 
Mrs.  Blossom. 

"  Oi've  been  coaxin'  the  main  to'  gallant  hatchway 
to  shut  up,  for  fayer  some  lady  moight  fall  overboard 
into  it,  and  brake  her  schkull  agin  the  main  r'yal 
keelson." 

The  party  laughed  heartily  at  this  sally  of  the 
Milesian,  who  could  talk  English  as  well  as  his  com- 
panions, but  he  had  a  great  affection  for  his  brogue, 
which  he  claimed  to  have  inherited  from  his  mother, 
and  occasionally  used  it  to  amuse  his  companions. 

"  You  know  I  can't  understand  that  sea  talk,  Felix  ; 
and  why  won't  j^ou  speak  so  that  I  can  tell  what  you 
mean,"  pouted  Mrs.  Blossom. 

"  Faix,  I  cudn't  oonderstand  your  say  slang  ony  bet- 
ther  than  you  cud  moin,  not  a  bit,  thin,"  replied  Felix, 
very  quietly. 

"  I  don't  use  sea  slang,  for  I  don't  understand  it," 
retorted  the  lady. 

"Didn't  ye's  say  I  landed  on  boord  this  staymer? 
I  app'ayl  to  the  cap'n  to  get  the  m'aning  of  the 
sintince." 

"  I  think  you  must  have  meant  that  Felix  fell  over- 
board down  the  hatchway,"  laughed  the  commander, 
as  he  rose  from  the  table,  and  the  others  followed  his 
example. 

The  good  lady  wanted  to  get  hold  of  the  Milesian 
to  explain  matters,  but  he  rushed  to  the  deck  in  spite 
of  her  calls,  and  Louis  followed  him. 


30  UP   AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE    MIGHTY    REQUEST    OF    FELIX    MOGAVONTY 

Felix  thought  he  was  mildly  persecuted  by  Mrs. 
Blossom.  He  was  thoroughly  devoted  to  her,  and 
would  do  almost  anything  to  please  her;  but  he 
felt  that  he  had  sacriticed  his  dignity  as  a  young 
man  in  permitting  her  to  treat  him  like  a  small  boy. 
In  a  word,  he  thought  it  was  necessary  to  give  her 
a  little  gentle  discipline.  She  was  not  his  mother, 
his  grandmother,  or  even  his  aunt ;  if  she  had  been, 
the  situation  would  have  been  entirely  different,  and 
in  that  case  he  believed  he  should  have  enjoyed  her 
caresses. 

With  the  feeling  that  she  had  no  right  to  treat  him 
as  3Irs.  Belgrave  did  her  son,  he  fled  to  the  upper 
deck,  and  again  obtained  the  spy-glass  he  had  so  per- 
sistently pointed  out  to  sea.  Louis  took  his  mother's 
hand  as  he  kissed  her,  and  did  not  feel  that  he  was 
"  a  great  calf,"  as  Felix  called  himself  after  he  had 
submitted  to  Mrs.  Blossom's  lusty  embraces. 

"You  will  come  down  again  soon,  Louis  ?  "  said  Mrs. 
Belgrave.  "  I  have  hardly  seen  you  since  you  returned 
to  the  ship." 

"  I  will,  mother,  if  I  am  not  ordered  to  some  duty 


'3  :.: 


'*No\V,    WHAT   IN   THE   WORLD   ARE   YOU   UP   TO,    FUX  ?  '"'       Page  3I. 


J  ,  J        J  J  J 
J  3  J  >  • 


t    c  t    1  t   t   t 

<    <        (  t  (  t  t 


II         »  •  , 
t  (  •  «  • 


THE  MIGHTY  llEQUEST  OF  FELIX  McQAVONTY     31 

on  boai\l  the  Maud,"  he  replied,  with  the  idea  that  the 
movements  of  Felix  meant  something,  as  he  followed 
the  Milesian. 

Felix  head  glued  his  right  eye  to  the  sight  of  the 
glass,  when  the  owner  found  him  on  the  upper  deck, 
though  it  w^as  too  dark  to  see  anything  clearly. 

"  j^NOw,  what  in  the  world  are  you  up  to,  Flix  ?  "  he 
asked,  as  he  placed  himself  behind  his  crony,  and 
looking  in  the  direction  in  which  the  glass  was 
pointed. 

"  Whisht,  darling ;  there  comes  the  second  officer," 
replied  Felix,  as  Mr.  Gaskette  passed  them. 

Louis  thought  his  friend  had  eyes  in  the  back  of  his 
head  as  well  as  in  the  front,  for  he  had  not  noticed 
the  approach  of  the  officer,  and  wondered  how  Felix 
could  have  seen  him  with  one  eye  closed  and  the 
other  gazing  out  on  the  broad  Mediterranean  ;  but  he 
had  before  observed  that  the  Milesian  always  saw 
everything  before  any  other  person,  as  the  commander 
had  suggested. 

"  What  do  you  see,  Flix  ?  "  asked  Louis  when  the 
officer  had  passed  out  of  hearing. 

"  I  don't  see  anything ;  and  I  wish  I  did,"  replied 
Felix,  without  removing  the  glass  from  his  eye. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  Avish  you  saw  ?  " 

'^  See  here,  my  darling,  Avhat  has  Captain  Ringgold 
been  saying  to  you  about  me  ?  "  demanded  the  ob- 
server, turning  his  attention  this  time  to  the  inquirer. 
"  What  did  you  mean  by  my  mission,  before  dinner  ?  " 

"Of  course   I  meant   your  mission.     The  captain 


32  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

said  he  told  you  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  a  certain 
steam-yacht  of  four  hundred  tons,  especially  as  we 
approached  the  shores  of  Egypt." 

^^Didhe  tell  you  that?" 

"  How  could  I  have  known  it  if  he  had  not  ?  You 
keep  as  close  within  your  shell  as  a  snail,  though  I 
have  seen  you  fooling  with  a  glass  all  day." 

"  All  right ;  then  you  know  that  I  am  looking  for 
the  Fatty,"  as  Felix  always  called  the  Fatime,  the 
Pacha's  steam-yacht.    ^'  I  wish  I  could  make  her  out." 

"I  don't  wish  so,  and  I  hope  we  shall  never  set 
eyes  on  her  again,"  added  Louis  heartily.  "  She 
seems  to  me  like  the  craft  of  which  Milton  writes  in 
Lycidas,  '  rigged  with  curses  dark.'  " 

"She's  schooner-rigged,"  said  Felix  gravely.  "I 
don't  want  to  see  her  any  more  than  you  do,  darling, 
if  she  isn't  here  ;  but  if  she  is  sculling  about  in  these 
waters  I  want  to  get  my  right  eye  on  her." 

"  I  suppose  if  you  could  see  her  with  your  left  eye, 
it  would  do  just  as  well." 

"  Perhaps  it  would ;  but  I  am  not  left-eyed  any 
more  than  I  am  left-handed.  To  come  down  to  a 
point  that  makes  the  business  practical,  I  believe 
upon  the  honor  of  my  dawning  mustache,  that  the 
Fatty  is  off  there  somewhere,  though  I  can't  see  her 
just  at  this  precise  moment,"  replied  the  observer,  as 
he  placed  the  glass  at  his  eye  again. 

"  But  it  is  too  dark  to  see  anything  to-night,  Flix,'^ 
added  Louis  as  he  gazed  out  into  the  gloom  that  hung 
over  the  water. 


THE  IMIGHTY  KEQUEST  OE  EELIX  M«GAV0:NTY     33 

"  But  this  is  like  the  watchman's  grog ;  it  is  a  night 
glass.  To  come  down  to  hard  frying-pan,  I  saw  a 
craft  off  there  just  as  it  was  getting  dark  that  looked 
something  like  the  Fatty.  I  could  not  make  her  out 
exactly ;  but  I  had  a  suspicion  that  weighed  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  pounds." 

"That's  a  heavy  suspicion,  and  I  wish  it  did  not 
weigh  as  many  ounces." 

"  I  don't  want  anything  of  her ;  but  the  captain  of 
the  ship  told  me  to  look  out  for  her,  and  I'm  going  to 
do  so." 

"  You  have  faithfully  obeyed  your  orders ;  but 
what  makes  you  think  you  have  seen  the  Fatime, 
Flix  ?  " 

"  Well,  it  isn't  because  I  have  seen  a  full-rigged 
four-master  out  there  in  the  distance,  but "  — 

"But  because  you  have  seen  a  vessel  that  you 
thought  looked  like  the  Fatime,"  interposed  Louis. 

"  Well,  my  darling,  I  have  a  faint  recollection  of 
having  seen  the  Fatty  something  less  than  five  hun- 
dred times,  and  I  think  I  know  a  mill-stone  when  I 
see  the  square  hole  through  the  middle  of  it,"  re- 
turned Felix,  who  flared  up  a  little  when  he  supposed 
his  judgment  was  called  in  question.  "I  don't  believe 
I  should  mistake  a  P.  and  0.  steamer  for  the  Fatty, 
even  in  the  night." 

"  I  don't  believe  you  would,  Flix ;  but  I  was  only 
suggesting  that  it  was  rather  difficult  to  identify  a 
vessel  when  she  is  from  three  to  five  miles  dis- 
tant, either    in   a  fog  or  in  the    night.     I    did   not 


34  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

mean  to  call  the  accuracy  of  your  perception  in 
question"  — 

"  That's  metaphysics  ! "  interrupted  the  Milesian. 
"  If  ye's  can't  shpake  Oirish  with  the  proper  brogue, 
talk  good  old  United  States  to  a  fellow  like  me. 
Why  couldn't  you  say  I  couldn't  see  what  was  in 
it?" 

"  Because  all  cats  are  black  in  a  dark  night," 
laughed  Louis.  "  Well,  you  couldn't  see  what  was  in 
it  when  it  was  too  dark  to  see  anything." 

"Besides,  nevertheless,  to  the  contrary  notwith- 
standing, I  believe  the  Fatty  is  off  there,  though  I 
can't  put  the  tip  of  my  finger  on  her  at  just  this 
particular  moment,"  persisted  Felix. 

"  Then  I  believe  you  have  good  grounds  for  your 
belief,"  added  Louis  heartily. 

"  Now  you  talk  like  a  Christian  as  you  are,  my  dar- 
ling ;  and  they  are  not  coffee-grounds,  either,  on  which 
I  pin  my  faith." 

"  Then  suppose  you  cease  your  struggle  to  be  funny, 
in  which  you  always  succeed  beyond  peradventure, 
and  come  down  to  bed-rock,"  suggested  Louis. 

"  jSTo  bed-rock  for  me ;  I  prefer  a  hair-mattress. 
But  we  will  come  to  the  point,  and  I  hope  it  will 
stick  you,"  continued  Felix,  putting  his  mouth  close 
to  the  ear  of  the  other.  "  I  have  been  looking  for  the 
Fatty  ever  since  we  left  Malaga,  as  Captain  Kinggold 
told  me  to  do,  but  I  didn't  see  a  taste  of  her  till  this 
afternoon." 

"  Where  was  she  then  ?  "  asked  Louis,  deeply  inter- 


THE  MIGHTY  REQUEST  OF  FELIX  AFGAVONTY     35 

ested,  too  much  so  to  take  advantage  of  the  Milesiau- 
ism  of  his  friend. 

"  She  was  away  down  to  leeward,  and  not  less  than 
five  miles  off.  I  could  hardly  have  seen  her  at  all 
without  a  glass.  As  the  Guardian-Mother  headed  in 
for  the  coast,  she  veered  to  the  south v^^ard ;  and  that 
helped  me  to  believe  that  she  was  the  Fatty." 

"  But  how  could  you  make  her  out  when  she  was 
five  miles  off  ?  " 

"I  didn't  measure  the  distance  she  was  from  the 
Maud,  and  she  may  have  been  eight  or  ten  miles 
from  us.  But  you  put  me  out  with  questions,  and 
don't  let  me  spin  out  my  yarn.  How  could  I  make 
her  out  ?  "  pouted  Felix. 

^'  I  won't  interrupt  you  again,"  added  Louis. 

'^  I  took  the  measure  of  the  Fatty  at  Funchal  and 
at  Gibraltar.  We  had  time  enough  to  study  her  up 
when  she  was  chasing  the  Sally  Hay,  as  the  Maud 
was  called  then  (Salihe),  from  Tangier  to  the  Rock. 
I  am  not  much  of  a  drawist,  but  I  made  a  picture  of 
her  as  I  sat  in  the  standing-room,  for  I  thought  we 
had  better  remember  just  how  she  looked.  I  have 
her  fixed  in  the  back  of  my  eye  as  cleanly  as  I  have 
my  mother,  who  is  no  longer  in  the  flesh." 

Louis  only  nodded. 

"  Faix,  ye' re  houlding  your  tongue  like  a  fish  that 
can't  shpake." 

"  Go  on,"  added  Louis,  true  to  his  promise. 

''  I  saw  enough  of  the  craft  —  I  forget  how  you 
said  she  was  rigged  — 


36  UP  AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

"  Go  on." 

"  I  saw  enough  of  her  to  make  me  believe  she  was 
the  Fatty,  without  regard  to  her  rig,  and  I  kept  on 
spying  her  through  the  glass.  When  the  ship  came 
to  anchor,  the  steamer,  with  the  rig  Captain  Milton 
gave  her,  came  about  and  headed  to  the  eastward. 
She  went  off  till  I  could  see  nothing  but  her  black 
smoke  against  the  sky.  This  was  before  dark,  you 
mind.  Half  an  hour  later  I  found  her  headed  to  the 
westward.  To  make  a  long  story  no  longer,  she  has 
been  standing  back  and  forth,  east  and  west,  for  the 
last  two  hours." 

"  Off  and  on,"  suggested  Louis. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,  my  darling!"  exclaimed  Felix, 
who,  in  spite  of  the  objections  he  had  made,  rather 
liked  Louis's  comments.  "  You  are  off  in  your  nau- 
tics,  fellow  deck-hand.  Off  and  on  means  running 
towards  the  shore  and  then  from  it." 

"Go  on,"  replied  Louis  laughing,  for  he  did  not 
pride  himself  upon  his  "nautics." 

"  I  have  got  to  the  end  of  my  story.  I  believe  the 
Fatty  is  keeping  just  near  enough  to  the  Guardian- 
Mother  to  see  where  she  is  going,"  replied  Felix. 

"  May  I  speak  now,  Flix,  as  you  have  finished  your 
yarn  ?  "  asked  Louis. 

"You  may,  my  darling;  but  don't  speak  loud 
enough  for  His  Highness  to  hear  you  on  board  of 
the  Fatty." 

"  You  said  you  had  a  mighty  request  to  make  just 
as  we  were  going  down  to  dinner." 


THE  MIGHTY  REQUEST  OF  FELIX  McGAVONTY     37 

"I  had,  and  I  have  it  still." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  not  object  to  mentioning  it  to 
me." 

"Not  the  least  in  the  world,  for  I  want  you  to 
make  the  request  of  the  captain.  You  are  the  owner 
of  the  ship,  and  you  would  have  more  weight  than  I 
should,  as  you  kick  the  beam  at  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds,  while  I  can't  hit  that  figure  by  fifteen 
pounds." 

"  What  is  the  mighty  request  ?  "  asked  Louis,  dis- 
regarding the  argument. 

^'  It  is  a  fine  night,  though  it  is  a  bit  dark ;  but  the 
stars  haven't  turned  in  yet." 

''To  the  point,  Flix,  for  my  mother  wants  me  in 
the  cabin." 

"  I  want  to  take  the  Maud  and  run  out  to  sea  far 
enough  to  enable  me  to  make  out  that  craft  with 
Captain  Milton's  rig,"  said  Felix  in  the  ear  of  his 
companion. 

"  But  I  can't  go,  for  my  mother  wished  me  to  go 
back  to  the  cabin  and  spend  the  evening  with  her," 
pleaded  Louis. 

"  The  mighty  request  doesn't  include  you  and  Mor- 
ris ;  for  no  AYoolridge  must  have  the  ghost  of  an  idea 
what  we  are  about.  We  are  going  a-fishing  after 
some  sort  of  polywogs  that  bite  best  in  the  night, 
though  we  may  not  catch  any." 

"  I  understand  you,  Flix.  ISTow  come  with  me  to 
the  captain's  cabin,  and  we  will  give  voice  to  the 
mighty  request,"  said  Louis,  as  he  started  for  the 
piain  deck. 


38  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"  No,  you  had  better  talk  it  over  together  alone," 
Pelix  objected. 

Louis  yielded  the  point,  and  hastened  to  the  cabin 
of  the  captain,  expecting  to  find  him  smoking  his 
cigar  there  after  his  dinner.  But  he  had  finished  his 
smoke,  and  gone  back  to  the  cabin.  He  rang  the 
electric  bell,  and  Sordy  presently  appeared,  whom  he 
sent  with  a  polite  request  for  the  commander  to  visit 
his  cabin.  He  appeared  in  a  few  minutes,  as  the 
message  came  from  the  owner.  Louis  reduced  the 
long  yarn  of  Felix  to  its  '•  lowest  terms,"  and  then 
enunciated  the  mighty  request. 

Captain  Eiuggold  hardly  asked  a  question,  and 
granted  the  request  at  once  in  spite  of  its  magnitude, 
as  Felix  viewed  it. 

''Where  is  Captain  Scott,  for  he  must  go  with 
you  ?  "  asked  the  commander. 

"I  am  not  going,  for  mother  wants  me  to  spend 
the  evening  with  her  in  the  cabin.  Of  course  Morris 
must  not  go,  and  if  I  remain  behind,  he  will  ask  no 
hard  questions.  I  suppose  Captain  Scott  is  still  in 
the  cabin." 

"  You  are  quite  right,  Louis,"  replied  the  captain, 
as  he  touched  his  bell  and  sent  Sordy  to  request  the 
presence  of  the  captain  of  the  Maud. 

Captain  Scott  was  one  of  the  four  who  were  in 
possession  of  the  momentous  secret,  and  the  request 
of  Felix  was  repeated  to  him.  The  Milesian  was 
sent  for,  and  gave  his  views  of  the  management  of 
the  affair,  and  the  details  were  very  soon  arranged. 


THE  MIGHTY  REQUEST  OF  FELIX  MCGAYONTY     39 

The  commander  and  Louis  went  to  the  cabin  while 
Captain  Scott  and  Felix  hastened  on  board  of  the 
Maud.  Captain  Einggold  proposed  to  send  several 
seamen  on  board  of  the  little  steamer,  but  they  were 
declared  to  be  unnecessary,  and  would  be  in  the  way. 
Scott  had  no  mother  to  call  him  into  the  cabin,  and 
Felix  was  glad  to  escape  from  the  endearments  of  the 
good  woman,  which  were  an  infliction  to  him,  except 
when  he  was  sick. 


40  UP  AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 


CHAPTEE   V 

A   NIGHT    CRUISE    TO    SETTLE    A    QUESTION 

The  Maud  was  a  "juvenile  steam-yacht/'  as  Felix 
had  been  known  to  call  her,  which  had  formerly  been 
the  property  of  Ali-Noury  Pacha.  Her  engineer  was 
a  young  Spaniard  from  the  Canary  Islands,  who  had 
been  ill-treated  when  he  objected  to  some  of  the  pur- 
poses for  which  the  craft  was  used,  and  he  had  run 
away  from  Mogadore,  proceeding  first  to  Funchal, 
and  then  to  Gibraltar  when  he  found  the  Pacha  was 
there. 

He  had  picked  up  Louis,  Felix,  and  Scott,  who  were 
adrift  in  a  open  boat,  and  they  had  proceeded  on  the 
voyage  together.  Felipe  Garcias,  the  engineer,  was  a 
very  conscientious  young  man  of  eighteen,  had  not 
intended  to  steal  the  little  steamer,  and  when  he  found 
the  Fatime  at  Gibraltar,  he  had  caused  the  craft  to  be 
made  fast  to  her  and  left  there.  The  Pacha  had  re- 
covered his  property,  but  she  seemed  to  be  an  elephant 
on  his  hands  at  that  distance  from  his  residence,  and 
he  had  sold  her  for  a  song  to  a  person  of  whom  Uncle 
Moses  and  Mr.  A¥oolridge  had  purchased  her. 

The  little  vessel,  under  the  command  of  Scott, 
had  made  the  voyage  to   the  Orient,  and  had  twice 


A   NIGHT   CRUISE   TO    SETTLE   A   QUESTION      41 

traversed  tlie  Mediterraneanj  and  her  young  captain 
had  proved  himself  to  be  not  only  a  good  seaman,  but 
a  well-informed  and  skilful  navigator.  Morris  was 
his  first  officer,  and  Louis  and  Felix  served  in  the 
humble  capacity  of  deck-hands,  or  seamen.  Felipe 
was  first  engineer,  and  the  second  Avas  a  man  who  had 
fled  from  the  Fatime  at  Gibraltar,  and  was  not  only 
valuable  in  his  position,  but  he  spoke  Arabic,  which 
had  been  of  great  service  to  Louis  when  he  was  doing 
detective  duty  at  Gallipoli.  Pitts,  the  cook  and  stew- 
ard, completed  the  complement  on  board,  consisting 
of  seven  persons. 

In  the  cabin  of  the  ship,  as  she  was  called  to  dis- 
tinguish her  from  her  consort,  the  party  had  become 
very  animated  after  dinner,  and  the  two  real  mothers 
had  taken  possession  of  their  sons,  who  were  relating 
the  details  of  the  voyage  from  Malaga,  as  they  oc- 
curred on  board  of  the  Maud.  It  so  happened  that 
Mrs.  Blossom  had  placed  herself  near  the  Woolridges, 
and  she  had  already  begun  to  ask  for  Felix ;  but  Mor- 
ris did  not  know.  The  commander  said  he  and  Scott 
were  on  duty,  when  he  was  interrogated,  and  that  was 
all  he  would  say. 

"  We  can  get  off  without  anybody  in  the  cabin  know- 
ing anything  about  our  movements,"  said  Scott,  when 
he  and  Felix  had  reached  the  pilot-house  of  the  Maud. 

"  But  we  must  instruct  the  engineers  and  the  cook 
before  we  do  anything,"  suggested  the  leader  of  the 
movement. 

"  We  needn't  tell  them  anything  except  what  they 


42  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

are  to  do.  I  v\dll  attend  to  that.  Felipe  must  run  tlie 
engine,  while  Don  and  Pitts  act  as  deck-liands,  and 
both  of  them  are  willing  to  do  a.11  kinds  of  Avork." 

"  All  right/'  replied  FeliX;  as  he  took  the  night  glass 
he  had  brought  with  him  from  its  leather  case. 

He  resumed  his  former  occupation  of  using  the  glass, 
and  swept  the  horizon  with  it  at  once.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments he  had  apparently  fixed  his  gaze  upon  an  object 
which  he  continued  to  scrutinize  till  the  captain  re- 
turned to  the  forecastle.  The  fire  in  the  furnace  had 
been  banked,  and  Felipe  was  starting  it  up.  Pitts 
and  Don  obeyed  the  order  to  report  on  deck  without 
asking  any  questions.  Scott  had  followed  the  example 
of  Captain  Kinggold  in  keeping  his  own  counsels  as  a 
rule,  and  the  officers  and  seamen  of  both  vessels  were 
thoroughly  schooled  in  the  sailor's  duty  to  obey  orders 
without  inquiring  for  reasons. 

"  Do  you  make  out  anything,  Felix  ?  "  said  the  cap- 
tain, when  he  saw  his  associate  still  making  diligent 
use  of  the  spy-glass. 

"  I  think  the  Fatty  is  out  there  still ;  but  she  has 
gone  so  far  to  the  eastward  that  I  can  only  just  make 
her  out.  But  I  believe  she  is  making  her  runs  a  mile 
or  two  nearer  the  shore  than  when  I  saw  her  last/^ 
replied  Felix. 

"  We  shall  have  to  wait  a  little  while  for  Felipe  to 
get  up  the  steam,  but  it  will  not  be  long,  he  says.  I 
think  we  had  better  cast  off  the  fasts  on  board  here, 
and  then  we  shall  not  have  to  call  on  the  watch 
on  the  deck  of  the  ship  for  anything.      We  can  drop 


A   NIGHT   CRUISE   TO    SETTLE   A   QUESTION      43 

them  into  the  water,  and  pick  them  up  when  we 
return." 

"  I  don't  meddle  with  the  navigation,  Captain  Scott," 
replied  Felix. 

"  But  the  commander  told  me  I  was  to  consult  you," 
added  the  captain. 

"  We  will  manage  the  affair  together.  You  know 
that  all  we  want  is  to  ascertain  if  the  steamer  in  the 
offing  is  the  Fatty ;  and  I  don't  think  you  need  any 
assistance  from  me  in  carrying  out  the  idea,"  answered 
Felix  Avith  becoming  deference. 

"All  right,  Flix,  and  we  will  talk  it  over  as  the 
occasion  may  require.  If  you  will  handle  the  glass,  I 
will  handle  the  steamer,"  replied  Scott,  who  had  not 
quite  liked  the  idea  of  being  placed  under  the  orders 
of  one  of  his  deck-hands  ;  but  the  words  and  the  man- 
ner of  Felix  had  fully  conciliated  him. 

In  a  little  while  Don  brought  word  from  Felipe  that 
he  had  steam  enough  to  move  at  half  speed.  The 
deck-hands  were  directed  to  cast  off  the  bow  and 
stern  lines,  and  buoy  them  with  sticks  of  wood  from 
the  fire-room.  The  order  was  executed  without  noise, 
so  as  not  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  watch  on  the 
deck  of  the  ship.  The  ports  opened  from  the  state- 
rooms, and  all  the  party  were  in  the  cabin,  so  that 
they  were  not  likely  to  discover  that  the  Maud  was  in 
motion. 

There  was  current  enough  to  carry  the  steamer 
astern  of  the  ship.  Some  of  the  watch  discovered  the 
smoke  from  her  funnel,  and  reported  that  the  Maud 


44  UP   AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 

was  going  astern.  Mr.  Gaskette  mounted  the  taffrail, 
and  hailed  her.  Captain  Scott  reported  that  he  was 
acting  under  the  orders  of  the  commander,  and  the 
second  officer  said  no  more ;  but  he  was  a  little 
troubled.  He  had  heard  of  such  a  thing  as  boys  run- 
ning off  with  a  vessel,  and  it  occurred  to  him  that 
Scott  and  Felix  were  engaged  in  such  an  enterprise. 
He  went  to  the  boudoir,  and  sent  down  for  the  com- 
mander, who  assured  him  that  it  was  all  right,  and 
thanked  him  for  his  vigilance. 

The  Maud  was  permitted  to  drift  about  half  a  mile 
before  Captain  Scott  rang  to  start  the  screw ;  and  by 
this  time  she  had  a  full  head  of  steam.  Then  he 
sent  the  two  acting  deck-hands  to  keep  a  lookout  in 
the  standing  room,  as  the  open  space  abaft  the  cabin 
was  sometimes  called,  though  it  was  provided  with 
cushioned  seats  extensive  enough  to  seat  a  dozen  per- 
sons. This  was  done  so  that  the  captain  and  Felix 
could  talk  more  freely  than  they  were  willing  to  do  in 
the  presence  of  any  other  of  the  ship's  company ;  and 
this  phrase  is  as  properly  applicable  to  the  people  of 
a  small  as  a  large  vessel,  if  she  is  something  more 
than  a  mere  boat.  i 

"  Do  you  make  out  anything  more  in  regard  to  the 
vessel,  Flix  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  Nothing  more  ;  she  is  too  far  off,"  replied  the 
observer. 

"  Can  you  make  out  which  way  she  is  going  ? '' 

"  She  is  headed  to  the  westward.  When  I  first 
made  her  out  she  kept  growing  smaller  and  smaller." 


A   NIGHT   CRUISE   TO    SETTLE   A   QUESTION      45 

"  That  proved  that  she  was  increasing  her  distance." 

"  Precisely  so ;  I  took  that  in ;  but  since  that  she 
has  been  increasing  in  size,  which  proves  that  she  is 
coming  nearer." 

'^  Eight  you  are.  Now,  if  she  is  headed  to  the 
westward,  we  shall  be  likely  to  go  astern  of  her  on 
our  present  course.  If  you  don't  object,  I  will  head 
her  so  as  to  come  near  her  by  intercepting  her,"  sug- 
gested the  captain.  ''  I  am  sure  we  can  get  near 
enough  to  her  to  make  out  what  she  is," 

''  Of  course  I  don't  object  to  anything  you  do.  Cap- 
tain Scott.  We  are  both  working  in  the  same  holy 
cause,  and  you  know  far  better  than  I  do  just  what  to 
do  to  enable  us  to  find  out  what  that  steamer  is." 

This  speech  pleased  Scott,  as  Felix  intended  it 
should,  and  he  shifted  the  helm  so  that  the  bow  of 
the  Maud  was  pointed  to  the  north-west.  The  suspi- 
cious craft  did  not  appear  to  be  sailing  at  full  speed, 
so  that  the  Maud  was  likely  to  come  out  ahead  of  her. 
For  half  an  hour  the  captain  held  her  as  she  had 
been  pointed,  and  Felix  continued  to  use  his  glass. 
Although  the  Maud  must  have  been  well  known  on 
board  of  the  Fatime,  no  notice  was  taken  of  her, 
which  at  first  gave  the  observer  some  uneasiness,  and 
led  him  to  suspect  that  he  had  mistaken  the  identity 
of  the  vessel. 

It  would  have  been  a  happy  mistake,  though  Felix 
did  not  like  the  idea  of  acknowledging  that  he  had 
made  a  blunder.  Scott,  of  course,  kept  a  close  watch 
over  the  object  of  the  pursuit ;  but  at  the  distance  of 


46  UP  AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

a  quarter  of  a  mile  he  could  not  make  her  out,  though 
he  had  a  more  nautical  eye  than  his  companion. 

"  Can  you  make  her  out,  Mix  ?  '^  asked  the  captain, 
after  he  had  scrutinized  the  craft  very  thoroughly. 

"  I  cannot ;  and  I'm  bound  to  say  that  she  don't 
look  like  the  Fatty,"  replied  Felix. 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  you  say  so ;  and  Louis  and  the 
commander  will  be  glad  they  sent  you  out  here  to 
settle  the  point." 

"  But  I  don't  say  it  is  not  the  Fatty ;  though  if  it 
is  she,  her  appearance  is  changed.  She  has  two  sticks 
across  her  foremast,  like  the  Guardian-Mother,"  added 
Felix,  who  was  not  altogether  sure  on  all  the  nautical 
terms ;  and  on  this  subject  he  was  afraid  of  the  cap- 
tain. 

"  A  fore  yard  and  a  fore  topsail  yard,"  said  Scott, 
supplementing  the  reply.  "  It  seems  to  me  that 
settles  the  question.  I  never  saw  the  Fatime  when 
she  carried  such  spars  ;  and  if  the  steamer  we  are 
looking  after  carries  them,  she  can't  be  the  Pacha's 
craft." 

"'But  the  Guardian-Mother  sent  down  these  sticks 
in  a  heavy  gale  on  our  voyage  to  the  Canaries," 
argued  the  Milesian. 

"  But  she  don't  send  them  down  in  a  calm,  for  it  is 
not  much  better  than  Paddy's  hurricane  just  now," 
returned  the  captain. 

''  Perhaps  you  are  right,  Captain  Scott,  though  it 
is  possible  that  she  may  have  changed  her  rig  for 
some   reason,"  added   Felix.      "  But   I   want  to   see 


A   NIGHT   CKUiSE   TO    SETTLE   A   QUESTION      47 

something  more  of  her  before  we  give   up  the   in- 
quiry." 

"  You  shall  see  all  you  wish  of  her,  for  she  is  not 
running  more  than  eight  knots  an  hour,  and  we  will 
go  alongside  of  her  if  you  say  so." 

"  I  should  like  to  go  as  near  her  as  it  is  prudent  to 
go." 

"  Xo  trouble  at  all  about  it ;  we  are  going  ten  knots, 
and  we  shall  come  out  ahead  of  her,  so  that  we  can 
take  any  position  we  choose." 

The  Maud  continued  on  her  course  for  another  half 
hour,  and  was  then  directly  in  the  course  of  the 
stranger,  as  she  still  appeared  to  be.  If  the  eyes  of 
those  on  board  of  her  were  as  sharp  as  the  observers', 
they  would  have  been  likely  to  recognize  the  Maud, 
though  she  carried  her  two  masts  as  she  had  seldom 
done  when  in  the  service  of  the  Pacha. 

^'  I  wonder  if  the  Grand  Mogul  is  on  board  of  her, 
.  if  it  should  turn  out  that  she  is  his  craft,"  said  the 
captain,  after  both  of  the  observers  had  been  silent 
for  some  time. 

"  He  is  a  fast  crab,  that  Pacha ;  and  if  he  is  on 
board,  he  stays  in  the  cabin.  We  learned  at  Punchal 
and  at  Gibraltar,  that,  though  he  is  a  Mussulman,  he 
drinks  wine  and  even  brandy  like  an  old  toper ;  and 
probably  he  is  having  a  good  time  in  the  cabin  of 
the  Patt}^,  wherever  she  may  be,  for  they  say  he 
spends  most  of  his  time  in  the  winter  on  board  of 
her,"  replied  Pelix. 

"But  here  she  comes,"  added  the  captain,  as  he 


48  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

rang  the  gong  to  stop  the  screw,  having  come  down  to 

half  speed  some  time  before. 

Scott  rang  again  to  back  her,  and  secured  just  the 

position  he  desired.     The  stranger  was  within  a  cable 

length  of  the  Maud,  when  Felix  went  aft  and  very 

carelessly  asked  Don  if  the  Fatime  ever  carried  yards 

on  her  fore  mast. 

"  She  always  carried  two  of  them  on  her  deck  in 
case  the  engine  was  disabl^l,  but  I  never  saw  her 

wear  them,"  replied  Don. 

Felix  did  not  wait  to  hear  any  more.  The  move- 
ments of  the  stranger  were  almost  enough  to  convince 
him  that  she  was  the  Pacha's  steamer ;  for  why,  he 
asked  himself,  should  any  honest  vessel  be  running 
back  and  forth  three  miles  or  more  from  the  shore. 

The  captain  was  still  manoeuvring,  for  the  other 
steamer  had  sheered  off  a  little,  though  she  was  now 
about  to  pass  across  the  bow  of  the  Maud.  Both  of  the 
observers  had  a  good  chance  to  see  her  alow  and  aloft, 
and  Felix  was  as  certain  as  he  was  of  his  own  exist- 
ence that  she  was  the  Fatime.  Not  a  little  to  his 
astonishment,  the  captain  hailed  her  in  plain  English  ; 
and  she  stopped  and  backed,  holding  a  position  with 
her  stern  on  a  line  with  the  bow  of  the  Maud. 


A    FISHING   EXCURSIOi^   UNDER   THE    STAKS     49 


CHAPTER   YI 

A.    FISHING    EXCURSION    UNDER    THE    STARS 

"  Ship,  alioy ! "  shouted  Captain  Scott  with  all  the 
force  of  his  lungs. 

"  On  board  the  steamer !  "  was  the  return  in  quite  as 
good  English.     "  What  steamer  is  that  ?  " 

^'  The  Viking,  from  the  Bahama  Islands/'  answered 
Scott,  who  had  prepared  this  fib  beforehand.  ^'  Have 
you  seen  a  large  man-of-war  steamer,  flying  American 
colors,  coming  up  from  the  eastward  ?  " 

^'  I  have  not,"  replied  the  officer  on  the  deck  of  the 
steamer ;  and  he  did  not  appear  to  recognize  the 
Maud. 

"  Have  you  seen  all  you  wish  of  her,  Flix  ?  "  asked 
the  captain. 

"  I  have,"  answered  the  other. 

"  Thank  you ;  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you," 
shouted  Scott.     "1  wish  you  a  pleasant  voyage." 

"Same  to  you,"  replied  the  unknown  officer. 
"  Where  are  you  bound  ?  " 

''On  the  lookout  for  the  American  cruiser,  Spread 
Eagle.  She  is  wanted  at  Rosetta,"  replied  the  cap- 
tain.    "If  they  are  not  Hottentots  on  board  of  that 


50  UP  AND  DOWK  Tin:  nil:s 

steamer  they  would  know  that  my  reply  is  liumbug," 
he  added  in  a  lower  tone  to  his  companion. 

At  the  same  time  he  rang  the  gong  to  start  the  screw, 
heading  the  Maud  to  the  eastward  when  it  began  to 
give  her  headway.  The  officer  of  the  other  steamer 
appeared  to  be  satisfied.  Felix  lighted  a  match  as 
soon  as  the  little  steamer  began  to  move,  and  touched 
off  a  Eoman  candle,  which  he  had  placed  on  a  board 
for  use  if  needed.  It  fizzled  up  promptly,  and  bril- 
liantly illuminated  the  scene.  By  its  light  he  could 
distinctly  see  and  read  the  name  on  the  stern  of  the 
suspect,  Fatime.  More  than  this,  the  officer  who  an- 
swered the  hail  had  mounted  the  taffrail  when  he  did 
so,  and  still  remained  there,  looking  at  the  Maud. 

"By  the  powers  of  mud,  that  man  is  Captain  Maza- 
gan  ! "  exclaimed  Felix,  as  the  fireworks  went  out, 
leaving  the  scene  in  greater  darkness  than  before  to 
the  half-blinded  eyes  of  the  observers  in  both  vessels. 
"  I  will  wager  all  the  leather  in  my  old  shoes  against 
a  Turkish  para  that  it  is  he." 

"I  thought  I  had  heard  the  voice  before,"  added 
Scott. 

Felix  hastened  to  the  standing-room  to  observe  the 
movements  of  the  Fatime,  as  the  Maud  had  left  her 
astern.  The  two  acting  deck-hands,  faithful  to  the 
discipline,  had  not  left  their  places,  and  could  have 
seen  but  little  of  what  had  just  transpired.  But  the 
change  in  the  course  enabled  them  to  see  the  Pacha's 
craft;  and  their  eyes  were  not  dazzled  by  the  fire- 
works. 


A   FISHING   EXCURSION    UNDER    THE    STARS     51 

"  That  steamer  is  the  Fatime;  Mr.  Felix  I  "  exclaimed 
Don,  the  engineer.  ^^  I  hope  you  will  not  take  us  any 
nearer  to  her.  Felipe  would  be  shaking  in  his  shoes 
if  he  knew  we  were  within  hail  of  her ;  and  I  don't 
feel  altogether  easy  when  I  am  so  near  to  her." 

^'  You  need  not  be  alarmed,  Don  John ;  if  the  officer 
who  spoke  to  us  is  the  captain,  he  does  not  appear  to 
smell  any  mice  near  him/'  replied  Felix.  "  But  what 
makes  you  think  that  is  the  Fatty  ?  " 

"  I  spent  most  of  my  time  in  her  stoke-hole  when  I 
was  on  board  of  her,  but  I  reckon  I  knovr  the  craft 
when  I  see  her,"  replied  Don  rather  doggedly.  "  She's 
the  Pacha's  steam-yacht." 

^'  You  are  mistaken,  Don ;  that  was  not  the  Fatty. 
Did  you  hear  what  the  captain  said  to  the  officer  on 
the  taffrail  ?  " 

"  I  did." 

"  Then  you  understand  that  we  are  looking  for  the 
American  man-of-war  Spread  Eagle." 

"  You  may  make  a  spread  eagle  of  me  if  that  isn't 
the  Fatime,  as  her  captain  did  of  me  once  when  I  ex- 
pressed my  mind." 

'•  I  tell  you  that  you  are  mistaken,  Don  John.  You 
are  a  free  born  British  citizen,  and  you  have  a  perfect 
right  to  your  own  opinion  in  religion,  politics,  and 
steamers ;  but  don't  you  tell  any  mortal  body  or  im- 
mortal soul  that  you  have  seen  the  Fatty  on  this 
cruise.  If  it  should  get  to  the  ears  of  Captain  Ring- 
gold, it  would  frighten  him  out  of  his  wits." 

"I  should  like  to  see  the  commander  when  he  is 


52  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

frightened  out  of  his  wits/'  interposed  Pitts,  with  a 
very  vigorous  laugh. 

"  At  any  rate  it  would  make  him  very  uneasy  and 
uncomfortable.  As  to  the  ladies  on  board  of  the  ship, 
if  they  knew  the  Fatty  was  anywhere  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean Sea,  they  would  go  into  fits,  and  compel  the 
commander  to  hurry  back  to  New  York  as  fast  as  he 
could  make  the  ship  go.  Then  some  of  you  would  be 
out  of  a  job.  You  see  that  the  Grand  Mogul  means  to 
kill  Captain  Ringgold  if  he  can  get  at  him  in  a  quiet 
place,  and  all  the  women  that  have  no  husbands  are  in 
love  with  him.  They  are  bound  to  save  him,  even  if 
they  have  to  give  up  the  voyage  round  the  world. 
You  can  see  through  a  brickbat  when  there  is  a  hole 
in  a  mill-stone." 

"  I  won't  tell  any  person,  living  or  dead,  that  we 
have  seen  the  Fatime,  or  any  other  steamer  for  that 
matter,"  protested  Don. 

"  Nor  I  either,"  added  Pitts. 

^^  Good,  Don ;  I  am  glad  to  have  you  acknowledge 
that  you  were  mistaken,  for  any  false  rumor  that  the 
Fatty  was  in  these  waters  would  breed  the  biggest 
row  you  ever  heard  of,"  added  Felix. 

"  I  did  not  know  the  steamer,  and  I  don't  believe 
now,  of  course,  that  it  was  the  Pacha's  craft,"  Pitts 
declared. 

Felix  was  satisfied,  and  went  forward.  Neither  of 
the  men  aft  knew  anything  at  all  about  the  momen- 
tous secret,  or  even  that  there  was  a  secret.  In  com- 
mon with  all  the  uninitiated,  they  believed  that  the 


A   FISHING   EXCUESIOX   UNDER   THE   STARS     53 

attacks  whicli  had  been  made  upon  the  party  in  the 
Archipelago,  and  at  Zante,  were  the  work  of  pirates 
and  brigands.  The  Fatime  had  started  her  screw 
again,  resuming  her  course  to  the  westward.  Captain 
Scott  went  at  full  speed  in  the  opposite  direction  as  a 
blind  to  the  officer  of  the  other  steamer.  In  less  than 
half  an  hour  the  two  vessels  were  practically  out  of 
sight  of  each  other,  and  the  Maud,  with  her  lights 
doused,  made  for  the  shore. 

Felix  explained  his  interview  with  the  deck-hands, 
and  then,  in  order  to  make  the  stories  consistent,  he 
insisted  upon  doing  some  fishing.  The  steamer  was 
stopped,  and  all  hands  threw  overboard  the  lines,  the 
hooks  baited  with  salt  pork.  Half  a  dozen  large  sar- 
dines were  hauled  in,  though  Don  called  them  pil- 
chards ;  but  almost  any  fish  of  the  herring  kind  is 
called  a  sardine,  which  takes  its  name  from  Sardinia, 
in  whose  waters  they  are  abundant. 

It  was  found  that  not  one  of  the  fish  had  bit  at  the 
bait,  and  all  of  them  had  been  '•  hooked."  The  num- 
ber was  sufficient  to  establish  the  consistency  of  the 
story,  and  the  jMaud  ran  for  the  ship,  coming  along- 
side after  an  absence  of  not  more  than  two  hours. 
The  buoys  of  the  fasts  were  picked  up,  and  the  deck- 
hands were  left  to  moor  the  steamer.  The  fish  were 
put  in  a  small  pan,  and  Felix  mounted  to  the  deck 
with  it,  following  Scott.  It  was  only  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  and  the  cabin  party  had  gathered  in  the 
music-room,  where  the  piano  was  located. 

The  two  absentees   marched   into   the   apartment. 


64  UP   AIs'D   DOWN   THE   NILE 

and  Felix  deposited  tlie  pan  of  fish  on  the  table,  and 
waited  for  the  hymn  to  be  finished,  for  most  of  the 
singing  was  of  sacred  music.  All  the  party  looked  at 
them,  for  they  had  been  missed,  and  Mrs.  Blossom 
had  had  a  great  deal  to  say  about  the  non-appearance 
of  the  one  she  insisted  upon  calling  "  her  boy." 

"  Where  under  the  sun  have  you  been,  Felix  McGa- 
vonty  ?  "  demanded  the  good  lady  as  soon  as  she  had 
an  opportunity  to  speak,  though  she  had  stopped 
singing  when  the  truant  entered. 

*'  Nowhere,"  replied  the  Milesian  without  a  blush. 

"  Nowhere  ! "  exclaimed  the  lady.  "  Why,  Felix,  I 
always  thought  you  were  a  truthful  boy." 

"So  Oi  am  whin  it's  convaynient,"  answered  he, 
switching  into  his  brogue,  as  he  was  apt  to  do  when 
he  intended  to  tease  the  worthy  lady. 

"You  ought  always  to  tell  the  truth,  whether  it's 
convenient  or  not,  and  even  to  your  own  injury,"  a 
sentiment  that  was  approved  by  all  the  party,  though 
no  one  said  anything. 

"  Wud  I  tell  a  sick  mahn  he's  go'n'  to  dole  ?  " 

"  But  I'm  not  a  sick  man." 

"  Faix,  ye're  not,  nor  a  sick  wuman  ayther.  But 
when  we  had  Spearman,  the  one  what  was  hurted  in 
the  wreck  of  the  Bunyan,  you  tould  him  he  wudn't 
die,  forinst  the  wurruds  of  Docthor  Hawkes,  long 
loife  to  him  and  his  adipose  tissue,  who  tould  you  he 
cudn't  live  the  day  out,  and  lie  didn't.  Sary  Blossom, 
you  ouglit  alius  to  tell  the  truth  whether  it's  convay- 
nient or  not." 


A   FISHING   EXCURSION   UNDER   THE    STARS     55 

The  entire  party  laughed  heartily,  and  Mrs.  Blos- 
som joined  them,  though  there  was  a  telltale  blush 
on  her  cheeks,  as  much  at  the  manner  of  the  speaker 
as  at  the  moral  he  was  illustrating. 

"  '  The  letter  killeth,  but  the  spirit  giveth  life,' " 
returned  the  lady. 

"  A  good  answer  ! "  exclaimed  the  doctor,  clapping 
his  hands. 

"  It  wasn't  the  letther  at  all  that  killed  Spearman, 
but  the  broken  ribs  he  got  aboord  the  Bunyan;  but 
the  spirit  you  guv  him  out  o'  the  brandy  bottle  guv 
Mm  loife  for  some  hours,"  added  Felix. 

"  You  didn't  answer  my  question,  Felix  McGavonty, 
said  the  lady,  returning  to  the  assault.  "I  asked 
where  under  the  sun  j^ou  had  been." 

"  And  Oi  answered  it  on  the  instant." 

"But  you  said  ^Nowhere.'  " 

«  Which  was  thrue  as  though  Oi  had  taken  it  from 
the  New  Tistamint." 

"  Oh,  Felix  !  how  can  you  tell  such  an  abominable 
falsehood?  I  asked  you  where  you  had  been,  and 
you  said  "  — 

"  Oi  beg  your  pairdon,  but  that  wasn't  the  question 
at  all  at  all." 

"  I  asked  you  where  you  had  been." 

"  I  appayl  to  the  company.  You  asked  me  some- 
thing more  than  that.  Won't  you  repayt  the  ques- 
tion jist  as  you  put  it  fursht  ?  " 

"  Where  under  the  sun  have  you  been,  Felix  Mc- 
Gavonty?  That's  just  the  way  I  put  it,"  protested 
Mr?..  Blossom. 


56  UP  AND   DOWK  THE   NILE 

"That's  thrue  for  ye's ;  and  I  said  I  had  been  no- 
where under  the  sun,  and  I  say  so  now,  and  Oi'll  shtick 
to't  till  the  river  Noile  droies  up,"  said  Felix  warmly. 

Then  the  company  saw  the  point,  and  they  all 
laughed  heartily. 

"  What  a  tease  you  are,  Felix ! ''  exclaimed  the 
victim  of  the  joke. 

"  Oi'm  no  tayse  whin  it  comes  to  speaking  the 
thruth.  How  could  I  go  anywhere  under  the  sun, 
whin  there's  no  sun  out  to-night  to  go  under  ? " 

"  Flix  has  the  best  of  the  argument,  Mrs.  Blossom; 
that  expletive  clause  in  your  question  ruined  you," 
laughed  the  surgeon. 

"Perhaps  you  will  be  willing  to  tell  me  now,  Felix, 
where  under  the  stars  you  have  been,"  continued  the 
good  lady. 

"  Wid  all  the  pleasure  in  loife.  Captain  Scott  and 
Oi  have  been  a  fishing.  We  expected  to  catch  some 
say-serpints  ;  but  here  is  all  we  could  gather  in,  for 
the  villains  wudn't  boite  at  all  at  all,  and  we  hooked 
these,"  answered  Felix,  as  he  took  the  pan  from  the 
table,  and  carried  it  to  the  lady. 

"  What  are  they  ?  "  she  inquired. 

"They  are  Sardinians,  called  sardines  for  short, 
and  they  are  all  waiting  to  be  b'iled  in  ile,  and  packed 
in  a  tin  box,  as  they  do  it  off  the  coast  of  Maine,  and 
sometimes  on  the  coast  of  France  and  Italy.  These 
air  the  rale  Oytalian  fish." 

"  Mr.  Gaskette  wishes  to  see  you  at  the  door,  sir," 
said  Sparks  in  the  ear  of  the  commander. 


A   FISHING   EXCTJKSION    UNDER   THE   STARS     57 

It  was  the  pilot  who  had  just  boarded  the  ship. 
The  captain  made  him  show  his  branch,  and  then 
engaged  him,  giving  him  a  berth  in  the  hospital, 
which  had  rarely  been  used  since  the  ship  left  Xew 
York.  Calling  one  of  the  stewards,  he  told  him  to 
invite  Felix  to  his  cabin,  for  he  was  somewhat  impa- 
tient to  learn  the  result  of  the  Maud's  mission  to  sea- 
ward. Scott  thought  he  was  entitled  to  be  present  at 
this  conference,  and  he  soon  followed  his  fellow- 
voyager. 

He  was  promptly  admitted  when  he  gave  his  name 
at  the  closed  door.  Eelix  was  relating  the  details  of 
the  cruise.  The  commander  knew  how  easy  it  was 
to  be  mistaken  in  the  identity  of  a  vessel  miles  dis- 
tant, and  he  hoped  that  such  had  been  the  case  with 
the  amateur  detective.  The  evidence  that  he  had  not 
been  in  error  was  all-sufficient,  to  the  great  regret  of 
the  commander.  It  was  fortified  by  the  testimony  of 
Don,  and  the  name  of  the  steam-yacht  had  been  read 
on  the  stern.  Captain  Penn  Sharp  could  not  have 
done  any  better  if  he  had  been  on  board  of  the  ship. 

^'  I  suppose  the  villanous  Pacha  is  still  intent  upon 
capturing  either  the  '  houri '  or  Louis,"  said  Captain 
Einggold,  after  Pelix  had  given  in  all  his  evidence. 
"  We  shall  go  up  the  Xile  after  we  have  visited  Alex- 
andria and  Cairo,  and  we  shall  be  peculiarly  exposed 
to  the  machinations  of  the  ]Moor  and  his  agents,  for 
here  he  will  be  at  home,  as  it  were,  while  we  are  total 
strangers." 

"  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  Captain  Mazagaii  is  in 


68  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

command  of  the  Fatime ;  at  any  rate  I  think  it  was 
he  that  answered  Captain  Scott's  hail,"  said  Felix. 

"  Very  likely ;  but  we  will  let  the  matter  rest  for 
to-night.  The  pilot  will  take  the  ship  in  early  to- 
morrow morning,  and  we  shall  have  plenty  of  time  to 
consider  the  situation.'' 

The  boys  retired  from  the  cabin,  and  soon  after 
were  sound  asleep  in  their  staterooms. 


THE    HARBOR   OF    ALEXANDRIA  59 


CHAPTER   Yll 

THE    HARBOR    OF    ALEXANDRIA 

As  soon  as  it  was  fairly  daylight  in  the  morning, 
Boatswain  Biggs  was  walking  the  men  around  the 
capstan  in  heaving  up  the  anchor,  though  it  was  gen- 
erally done  by  steam.  The  pilot  spoke  English  very 
well ;  but  in  the  variety  of  races  in  this  region  no 
one  could  tell  whether  he  was  a  Turk,  Arab,  or  Egyp- 
tian ;  but  he  was  clothed  in  the  ample  garments  of  the 
Orient. 

Captain  Scott  had  been  called  by  the  cabin  v*'atch  ; 
he  had  roused  the  other  members  of  the  ••  Big  Four," 
and  they  had  gone  on  board  of  the  Maud,  ready  to 
follow  the  Guardian-Clothe r  into  port.  The  young 
captain  had  studied  the  chart  and  the  plan  of  the  har- 
bor so  thoroughly,  that  he  believed  he  could  take  his 
little  craft  into  port  without  any  help  from  the  Mo- 
hammedan, who  had  taken  his  place  on  the  bridge  of 
the  ship. 

From  Eunostos  Point  on  the  north-east  to  Marabut 
Island  on  the  south-west,  a  distance  of  not  quite  five 
miles,  was  a  line  of  reefs  and  shoals,  which  made  the 
passage  very  intricate,  though  the  Maud  could  have 
gone  in  almost  anywhere,  for  there  was  hardly  less 


60  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

than  three  fathoms  in  the  shoalest  places.  But  Scott 
had  prepared  himself  to  take  in  a  vessel  drawing  over 
twenty  feet  of  water. 

The  coast  of  the  mainland  was  low  and  flat,  and  it 
could  not  be  seen  from  the  anchorage  where  the  ship 
had  lain  over  night.  Scott  took  his  place  in  the  pilot- 
house of  the  little  steamer,  and  brought  out  his  plan 
of  the  harbor,  on  which  he  had  drawn  out  the  bear- 
ings that  would  enable  him  to  go  safely  through  the 
Boghaz  Pass,  which  is  the  central  cha,nnel  through  the 
reefs.  Louis,  the  only  available  deck-hand  on  board, 
though  Pitts  was  ready  to  lend  a  hand  if  needed,  had 
cast  off  the  stern  line,  and  was  standing  by  the  bow 
line,  awaiting  further  orders.  Felix  had  directed  his 
spy-glass  to  seaward  as  soon  as  he  came  on  board, 
and  the  captain  was  not  inclined  to  interrupt  his 
observations. 

^^  Do  you  make  out  anything,  Flix  ?  ^'  asked  Scott, 
for  the  amateur  detective  stood  directly  in  front  of 
the  windows  of  the  pilot-house. 

"  There  are  half  a  dozen  steamers  coming  in  from 
the  north-west,  and  I  can't  make  out  the  sheep  shears 
on  the  tablecloth  flag  of  Morocco  yet;  but  they  are 
all  headed  in  shore,  and  I  shall  soon  be  able  to  see 
which  is  which,"  replied  Felix. 

"Captain  Ringgold  appears  to  have  appointed  you 
the  chief  detective  of  the  fleet,  Flix,"  added  Scott, 
with  a  pleasant  laugh  to  indicate  that  he  was  not  jeal- 
ous of  the  promotion  of  his  companion. 

"  Nonsense  !  "  exclaimed  the  observer,  dropping  his 


THE   HAr.BOR    OF   ALEXANDRIA  61 

glass  long  enough  to  look  the  captain  in  the  face, 
"  He  has  not  appointed  me  any  more  than  he  has  the 
rest  of  us  fellows.  He  can't  say  a  word  to  any  one 
except  the  three  who  have  had  the  secret  for  over 
three  months,  and  he  is  mighty  short-handed  in  the 
matter  of  detectives." 

"But  he  depends  more  on  you,  Flix,  than  on  any 
other  of  the  fellows,"  suggested  the  captain. 

"But  it  was  Louis  who  did  most  of  the  work  in 
getting  possession  of  the  secret  of  what  the  Pacha 
intended  to  do,"  Felix  objected. 

"'  You  were  with  him  all  the  time,  and  it  was  only 
because  Louis  spoke  and  understood  French  that  he 
was  enabled  to  get  at  the  purposes  of  the  conspirators. 
Captain  Penn  Sharp  could  not  speak  a  word  of  French 
any  more  than  you  can,  and  he  is  the  man  after  the 
commander's  own  heart  as  a  detective." 

"We  were  on  English  ground  then.  I  am  not  a 
philosopher  or  a  metaphysician ;  but  I  am  willing  to 
grant  that  I  rather  like  the  business  of  a  detective," 
replied  Felix,  with  a  sort  of  deprecatory  smile,  as 
though  he  had  confessed  to  what  he  sometimes  called 
a  "  strong  weakness." 

"  Then  you  have  a  taste  for  the  business." 

"  Perhaps  I  have  in  a  mild  way ;  but  I  should  cer- 
tainly never  think  of  following  it  to  get  my  bread  and 
butter,  and  go  into  the  business  of  picking  up  every- 
day rogues." 

"You  can  go  into  it  in  a  very  genteel  way  in  getting 
the  weather-gage   of  the  Moor  —  of  Venice,"  added 


62  UP   AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 

Scott,  uttering  the  last  two  words  in  a  loud  tone,  just 
as  Morris  Woolridge  came  forward. 

"  Whicli  of  you  is  going  to  play  Othello  ?  "  asked 
the  new-comer. 

"Elix  thinks  of  becoming  a  tragedian.  Cast  off 
the  bow  line,  Louis !  '^  he  called,  as  the  screw  of  the 
ship  began  to  turn,  and  afforded  him  an  opportunity 
to  change  the  subject. 

The  Maud  dropped  astern  as  the  ship  started,  and 
then  went  ahead  at  half  speed.  Pitts  wanted  to 
know  if  the  ship's  company  would  dine  on  board ;  the 
captain  thought  not,  as  there  was  to  be  a  conference 
on  board  the  Guardian-Mother,  in  which  parts  had 
been  assigned  to  the  "Big  Four,"  and  the  cook  re- 
treated to  the  galley.  Felix  would  not  devote  himself 
to  his  spy-glass  in  the  presence  of  Morris,  for  it  might 
suggest  hard  questions,  and  Felix  was  decidedly  op- 
posed to  lying,  though  he  could  do  some  of  it  '4n  case 
of  sickness,"  as  he  had  explained  it. 

"  You  may  be  on  the  lookout  forward,  Morris,"  said 
the  captain,  in  order  to  give  Felix  an  opportunity  to 
continue  his  investigation,  which  must  now  be  done 
in  the  standing-room,  as  the  steamer  was  headed  for 
the  harbor. 

The  amateur  detective  moved  about  in  an  indiffer- 
ent manner  as  though  he  had  no  possible  object  in 
living ;  but  when  Morris  was  gazing  ahead  with  all 
his  might,  he  took  the  glass  from  the  brackets  very 
slyly,  and  went  aft.  As  Louis  had  nothing  to  do  on 
the  forecastle,  he  sauntered  after  him ;  and  it  soon 


THE   HARBOR    OF    ALEXANDRIA  63 

became  his  business  to  see  that  Felix  was  not  inter- 
rupted in  his  occupation. 

It  was  a  very  quiet  time  on  board  the  Maud ;  but 
the  cabin  party  made  it  more  stirring  on  board  of  the 
Guardian-Mother.  The  upper  or  hurricane  deck  was 
the  favorite  resort  when  there  was  anything  to  be 
seen.  It  was  the  top  of  the  house  on  deck,  extending 
nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  ship.  The  pilot-house 
was  elevated  three  steps  above  the  upper  deck,  so  that 
the  quartermasters  could  see  over  the  top-gallant  fore- 
castle. The  captain's  cabin  was  next  to  it,  and  the 
top  of  it  was  on  a  level  with  that  of  the  pilot-house, 
which  gave  the  commander's  quarters  a  ceiling  about 
two  feet  and  a  half  higher  than  the  other  apartments 
on  the  same  deck. 

This  higher  part  of  the  upper  deck  formed  what 
had  been  called  first  the  officers'  promenade.  Since 
the  passengers  used  it  more  than  any  others,  it  was 
known  simply  as  the  "promenade."  Over  the  for- 
ward part  of  it  was  the  bridge,  which  was  used  by 
the  lookout,  and  by  the  pilots  in  going  into  port,  as 
well  as  by  the  officer  of  the  watch  in  thick  weather. 
Both  the  bridge  and  the  promenade  could  be  reached 
by  stairs  from  the  pilot-house. 

It  was  only  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  but  all  the 
cabin  party  were  seated  on  the  promenade,  which 
commanded  an  excellent  view  of  everything  in  sight ; 
but  hardly  anything  was  yet  visible.  Mr.  Boulong, 
the  first  officer,  was  on  the  bridge  with  the  pilot,  and 
the  captain  was  devoting  himself  to  the  passengers, 


64  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

He  had  been  to  Egypt  before,  as  he  had  been 
to  nearly  every  country  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 
He  had  been  to  Alexandria  several  times,  and  he 
was  fully  prepared  to  act  as  the  cicerone  of  the 
tourists. 

"You  have  seen  the  lighthouse  before,"  said  he, 
when  the  ship  had  advanced  far  enough  for  him  to 
begin  his  task.  "A  couple  of  miles  to  the  north-east 
of  it  you  can  just  make  out  the  fort  which  occupies 
the  point  where  stood  the  ancient  Pharos,  which 
means  a  light ;  and  the  French  still  call  it  a  phare. 
Alexandria  has  two  harbors,  most  of  the  city  lying 
between  the  two." 

"  I  should  think  we  had  got  back  into  Holland  by 
the  number  of  windmills  in  sight,"  suggested  Mrs. 
Belgrave. 

"There  are  many  of  them  in  the  waste  places 
about  the  city ;  but  they  are  not  used  here,  as  in  Hol- 
land, to  pump  out  the  count r}^,"  replied  the  comman- 
der, who  never  failed  to  answer  when  the  owner's 
mother  spoke.  "  Away  off  to  the  eastward,  eight  or 
nine  miles  distant,  like  a  speck,  you  can  just  make 
out  the  chateau  of  the  Khedive,  at  Eamleh." 

"  What  under  the  sun  is  that  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Blos- 
som, whose  education  had  been  more  limited  than 
that  of  the  other  members  of  the  party,  and  who^e 
store  of  information  was  even  more  limited ;  but  she 
had  learned  a  great  deal  on  this  voyage. 

"I  should  like  to  ask  at  the  same  time  how  you 
pioi.Guuce  the  name  of  the  ruler  of  Egypt,"    added 


THE   HARBOR    OF   ALEXANDRIA  65 

Mrs.  Belgrave ;  and  of  course  this  question  was  the 
first  to  be  answered. 

"Make  the  first  syllable  k-e-d,  with  a  short,  or 
obscure  e,  to  rhyme  with  'head/  and  the  second  is 
just  the  same  as  the  name  of  the  lady  in  the  Garden 
of  Eden  who  was  somewhat  mixed  up  in  the  apple 
question,"  replied  the  commander. 

Every  one  of  the  eight  pronounced  the  word  accord- 
ing to  the  directions  given,  and  all  but  Mrs.  Blossom 
did  it  correctly.  She  contrived  to  get  it  wrong,  but 
the  captain  did  not  deem  it  advisable  to  use  his  time 
in  correcting  her,  for  she  was  usually  incorrigible  in 
such  matters.  "  The  Khedive  is  the  ruler  of  Egypt, 
Mrs.  Blossom,  and  his  chateau  is  his  palace,  his  sum- 
mer residence  in  this  instance ;  but  we  shall  have 
more  to  say  about  this  young  gentleman  at  the  confer- 
ence. We  are  now  just  entering  the  harbor,  you  can 
see  a  buoy  on  either  side  of  us  ;  and  the  water  under 
them  is  only  about  twenty-two  feet  deep,  which  is  not 
enough  for  the  large  steamers  that  come  in  here." 

"  There  is  some  sort  of  a  tower  directly  ahead  of 
us,"  said  Dr.  Hawkes. 

"  That  is  on  the  fortifications  called  Bab  el- Arab, 
which  means  the  Bedouin  Gate.  Arabs  in  all  this 
part  of  the  world  are  generally  called  Bedouins." 

"Perhaps  you  wouldn't  mind  pronouncing  that 
word  for  me,  for  I  suppose  all  the  others  know  how 
to  do  it,"  asked  Uncle  Moses.  "  I  hear  some  call  it 
Bed-yew-ins,  and  others  as  you  spoke  it." 

"My  dictionary  gives  it  Bed-oo-ins,  accent  on  the 


66  UP   AND   DOV/N   THE   NILE 

first  syllable,  and  the  e  in  it  short ;  and  I  think  that 
is  the  way  to  do  it.  As  yon  can  see,  there  are  plenty 
of  windmills  in  that  quarter.  The  fortifications 
extend  across  the  tongue  of  land  a  little  less  than  a 
mile  wide,  lying  between  the  West  Harbor  and  Lake 
Mareotis,  of  which  more  will  be  said  at  the  confer- 
ence. Now  you  can  see  the  light  at  the  end  of  the 
breakwater,  which  protects  the  inner  harbor  from  the 
north  winds  from  the  sea.  We  shall  go  around  it, 
and  come  to  anchor  near  the  red  light  we  can  see 
across  it.  We  have  got  through  the  shoals,  and  now 
the  water  is  from  eight  to  ten  fathoms  deep  where  we 
are.  Mr.  Gaskette ! "  called  the  commander  to  the 
second  ofiicer,  who  was  pacing  the  upper  deck. 

"On  deck,  sir,"  reported  the  ofiicer,  touching  his 
cap,  as  all  did  when  addressing  the  commander. 

"  Yon  will  station  the  boatswain  with  two  seamen 
on  the  top-gallant  forecastle,  and  all  the  rest  of  the 
hands  along  the  bulwarks  all  around  the  ship,"  con- 
tinued Captain  Einggold.  "  There  will  be  a  swarm  of 
boats  come  off  as  soon  as  we  are  in  sight  from  the 
landing-place,  and  the  natives  will  come  on  deck  with- 
out leave  or  license  if  you  permit  them  to  do  so.  You 
will  see  that  no  one  is  allowed  to  come  on  board,  —  I 
mean  the  beggars,  boatmen,  dragomans,  and  such  peo- 
ple. But  you  will  use  your  judgment  in  regard  to 
others." 

Mr.  Gaskette  touched  his  cap,  bowed,  and  retired. 
The  party  heard  the  boatswain's  whistle,  and  the  call 
for  all  hands. 


THE    HARBOR    OF    ALEXANDRIA  67 

"  Are  you  afraid  of  an  invasion,  Captain  ? "  in- 
quired the  surgeon. 

"  I  have  been  here  before,  and  these  fellows  who 
want  a  job  to  put  you  ashore,  or  to  furnish  you  with 
donkeys,  or  to  take  the  party  up  the  Xile,  are  an  in- 
tolerable nuisance,  and  they  would  worry  the  life  out 
of  you.'' 

"But  it  would  amuse  us,"  suggested  Mrs.  Wool- 
ridge. 

"  You  will  have  an  abundance  of  that  sort  of  amuse- 
ment at  the  city  here  and  at  Cairo,  and  all  along  the 
ISTile.  But  if  you  desire  it,  I  will  permit  the  beggars 
to  come  on  board,"  said  the  commander. 

"  jSo,  Captain ;  I  prefer  to  leave  the  matter  to  your 
judgment  rather  than  to  my  own,  for  I  never  was  here 
before,"  replied  the  lady. 

In  a  few  minutes  more  the  ship  passed  the  break- 
water light,  and  turned  to  the  north-east,  headed  di- 
rectly for  the  custom-house.  Early  as  it  was  in  the 
morning,  a  multitude  of  boats  began  to  put  off  from 
the  landing-place  near  the  end  of  the  inner  breakwater. 
The  anchor  was  all  ready  to  drop  in  six  fathoms  off 
the  inner  light,  and  hands  were  stationed  for  the  pur- 
pose. 

"  Let  go ! "  shouted  Mr.  Boulong,  when  the  pilot 
gave  him  the  word,  and  the  ship  soon  swung  round 
to  her  cable. 

Then  began  the  efforts  of  the  swarm  in  the  boats  to 
get  on  board;  but  the  seamen  were  obedient  to  their 
orders.     The  Arabs  and  Egyptians  were  angry,  for 


68  UP   AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

they  were  admitted  on  board  of  the  steamers  from 
Marseilles,  Brindisi,  and  the  Archipelago.  The  sail- 
ors used  their  fists  when  necessary  ;  but  only  a  couple 
of  custom-house  officers  came  on  board,  admitted  by 
order  of  Mr.  Gaskette. 


THE  ONSLAUGHT  OF   THE  ORIENTAL  BEGGAilS   69 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    ONSLAUGHT    OF    THE    ORIENTAL    BEGGARS 

The  Maud  did  not  follow  the  Guardian-]\Iother  very 
closely,  for  Captain  Scott  had  a  great  deal  of  faith  in 
his  ability  to  pilot  the  little  steamer  into  the  harbor. 
But  he  knew  there  was  not  less  than  twenty-two  and 
a  half  feet  of  water  anywhere  in  the  Boghaz  Pass, 
and  he  couldn't  have  taken  the  bottom  if  he  had  tried 
to  do  so ;  so  there  was  no  great  virtue  in  his  piloting, 
and  he  did  not  claim  any. 

'•'Well,  Flix,  what  do  you  make  out?"  asked 
Louis,  as  the  Maud  approached  the  entrance  to  the 
Pass,  and  the  long  silence  had  become  rather  monot- 
onous.    "  Do  you  see  anything  ?  " 

"  I  see  lots  of  steamers,  and  among  them  one  you 
have  seen  several  times,  so  that  you  know  her  by 
heart,"  replied  the  detective,  as  the  inner  ring  of  the 
"  Big  Four  "  soon  began  to  call  him ;  and  this  number 
simply  excluded  Morris. 

"  You  have  seen  her  ?  "  exclaimed  Louis. 

''  I  have  indeed ;  and  I  have  been  following  her 
with  my  right  eye  since  the  screw  began  to  whirl. 
She  is  so  much  smaller  than  the  other  steamers  that 
I  had  no  trouble  in  making  her  out  just  as  soon  as 


70  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

I  discovered  her.  She  sailed  with  the  cro^vd  for  a 
while,  and  then  she  went  off  to  the  eastward  again. 
But  she  didn't  go  more  than  a  couple  of  miles  before 
she  headed  to  the  south  again.  I  can't  make  out  yet 
what  her  little  game  is ;  but  I  am  satisfied  that  she 
means  to  make  a  port  in  Egypt,  and  is  only  off  here 
now  to  keep  the  run  of  the  Guardian-Mother  and  her 
consort.  That's  my  opinion,  whether  you  agree  with 
me  or  not." 

''I  haven't  any  opinion,  except  that  if  you  are 
right,  and  the  Fatime  is  in  these  waters,  she  is  look- 
ing for  our  party,"  replied  Louis.  "  And  I  have  no 
doubt  you  are  right." 

''  Of  course  I  am  right,"  exclaimed  Felix,  dropping 
the  glass  from  his  eye.  "  Didn't  I  read  her  name  on 
the  stern,  ^  La  Fatime ' ;  and  I  knew  French  enough 
to  read  it,  since  it  was  the  same  as  in  English." 

^^  I  haven't  doubted  any  of  your  statements  ;  and  I 
told  the  commander  you  were  the  best  detective  in 
the  inner  ring." 

"  The  inner  ring  isn't  a  big  one,  and  only  means 
three  out  of  four,"  replied  Felix,  laughing. 

"  But  there  is  one  thing  on  which  I  do  not  feel  so 
well  satisfied." 

"  What's  that,  darling  ?  "  demanded  the  detective. 

'^  Don't  you  believe  they  recognized  the  Maud  on 
board  of  that  steamer  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't ;  but  of  course  I  can't  be  sure  of  it. 
If  they  had  made  her  out,  I  am  confident  they  would 
have  sent  a  dozen  or  twenty  men  on  board  of  the 


THE  ONSLAUGHT  OF    THE  ORIENTAL  BEGGARS    71 

Maud  and  captured  her,  for  there  was  no  other  vessel 
near  us  at  the  time.  Even  Captain  INIazagan  knows 
that  3^ou  sail  in  this  boat,  and  he  must  naturally  have 
supposed  you  were  on  board  of  her ;  and  they  would 
have  expected  to  do  half  their  business  over  here  by 
making  a  prisoner  of  you." 

"That  would  have  been  bad  business  for  me," 
added  the  young  millionaire,  with  a  smile,  though  he 
did  not  quite  believe  the  banditti  on  board  of  the 
Fatime  would  have  been  able  to  capture  him  :  for  the 
half  dozen  breech-loaders  which  had  been  sent  on 
board  of  the  Maud  in  the  Archipelago  were  still  in 
the  lockers  under  the  seats  in  the  cabin. 

"  That's  one  reason  why  I  believe  Captain  Mazagan, 
who,  I  think,  commands  her  now,  did  not  make  her 
out.  Both  vessels  were  thoroughly  painted  at  Ma- 
laga, and  at  the  request  of  Captain  Scott,  they 
changed  the  color  to  white ;  for  she  was  black  when 
Mazag?tn  saw  her." 
"  That  indeed." 

"  He  did  not  ask  me  what  steamer  this  was  ;  per- 
haps because  I  omitted  to  put  the  same  question  to 
him.  Captain  Scott  did  his  best  to  fool  the  officer 
who  answered  his  hail,  and  I  believe  he  fully  suc- 
ceeded. I  am  sure  the  Fatime  would  have  chased  us 
if  they  had  smelled  anything  like  a  mouse,"  argued 
Felix ;  and  Louis  believed  he  was  right  in  the  main. 

"Don't  you  think  it  Vv^ould  be  rather  reckless  of 
them  to  bring  that  steamer  into  thn  harbor  of  Alex- 
andria while  tLe  G.-M.  is  there,  Flix  ?  "  he   asked. 


72  UP   AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

"  The  Pacha  would  understand  that  Captain  Einggold 
would  take  to  his  heels  again  if  her  saw  her,  as  he 
has  done  three  times  before." 

"  I  haven't  the  remotest  shadow  of  a  spectre  that 
he  intends  to  come  into  the  harbor  of  Alexandria ;  on 
the  contrary,  he  don't  mean  to  do  anything  of  the 
kind.  His  Highness  is  a  villain,  but  he  is  not  quite  a 
fool  except  in  the  sense  that  all  villains  are  fools." 

'•  What  will  he  do,  then  ?  " 

"  He  will  make  a  port  at  Rosetta  or  Damietta,  both 
of  which  are  connected  by  railroad  with  Alexandria 
and  Cairo.  That  is  what  I  should  do  if  I  had  made  a 
contract  to  carry  out  his  job,"  replied  Felix,  as  he 
fixed  the  glass  at  his  eye  again.  "  There  she  is,  still 
going  to  the  eastward ;  and  she  is  nearly  hull  down, 
as  though  she  had  been  stirring  up  the  fires  in  her 
furnaces  and  making  more  steam.  Mazagan  could 
make  out  with  his  glass  that  the  Guardian-Mother 
has  gone  into  the  harbor  of  Alexandria,  and  that's  all 
he  wanted  to  know.  What  he  has  to  do  just  now  is 
to  set  his  snares  and  traps,  and  you  and  the  houri  may 
fall  into  them." 

Felix  was  evidently  satisfied  with  what  he  had  done, 
and  with  the  conclusions  at  which  he  had  arrived. 
He  closed  up  the  implement  with  which  he  had  done 
good  service,  and  started  to  go  forward.  The  Maud 
was  in  the  Boghaz  Pass,  and  the  captain  did  not  seem 
to  be  at  all  worried  about  the  task  of  taking  the 
steamer  through  the  perils  in  her  way.  He  said  noth- 
ing to  Felix  about  tl:e  mission  in  which  he  was  en- 
r-a-^^vL  ijv  Jl^riis  ^vao  \\lLli.iii  Leiii.iii<:; 


THE  ONSLAUGHT  OF   THE  OBIEXTAL  BEGGARS    73 

Instead  of  doing  so,  lie  began  to  describe  the  various 
objects  which  were  in  sight  by  this  time,  reading  the 
names  from  the  little  plan  of  the  harbor  and  its  sur- 
roundings, which  he  had  placed  before  him  on  the 
binnacle.  As  soon  as  the  Maud  had  rounded  the 
breakwater  light,  he  saw  the  boats  that  were  hui-ry- 
ing  to  the  side  of  the  Guardian-Mother.  A  little 
later  he  saw  the  sailors  beating  off  the  occupants  of 
them,  as  they  would  an  enemy  that  was  boarding  the 
ship. 

"  Captain  Einggold  e\idently  understands  the  way 
they  do  things  here,  and  I  will  take  the  hint,"  said  he. 
"  Call  all  hands  except  the  first  engineer,  Morris." 

"  Let  no  one  on  board  except  ofi&cers  !  "  shouted  Cap- 
tain Ringgold  from  the  upper  deck,  as  the  Maud 
approached  the  ship. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir  !  "  replied  Scott. 

He  had  observed  how  the  seamen  of  the  ship  were 
managing  the  business,  and  he  instructed  his  crew  to 
act  in  like  manner.  There  was  a  vast  number  of 
boats  on  the  starboard  side  of  the  Guardian-Mother, 
and  Scott  decided  to  scatter  them  as  he  came  along- 
side. He  rang  the  gong  to  stop  the  screw,  and  steered 
for  the  berth  he  had  chosen. 

"  Imshi  !  Imshi  I  "  shouted  Don,  who  was  the  only 
person  on  board  of  either  vessel  who  could  speak 
Arabic. 

"  What  does  that  mean,  Don  ?  "  asked  Felix,  as  he 
tumbled  an  Egyptian  over  backwards  into  his  boat. 

"It  means  go  away,  get  out,  or  anything  of  that 


74  UP   AND  DOWN  THE   NILE 

sort/'  replied  the  engineer.  "  But  these  fellows  have 
no  right  to  come  on  board  till  the  doctor's  boat 
has  boarded  the  ship.  That's  the  rule  in  all  these 
countries." 

"  Stand  by  the  fasts  !  "  called  Captain  Scott,  as  he 
steered  the  steamer  so  that  she  cut  in  between  the 
boats  and  the  ship,  shoving  them  away  from  her. 

As  she  came  alongside  half  a  dozen  sailors  dropped 
down  aboard  the  Maud,  evidently  sent  by  the  com- 
mander to  assist  in  keeping  off  the  intruders  ;  but  all 
of  a  sudden  the  latter  pushed  off  and  retired  a  short 
distance  from  the  sides  of  the  vessels.  The  cause 
of  this  movement  was  immediately  apparent,  for  a 
boat  pulled  by  six  oarsmen  dashed  through  the  small 
craft,  which  were  careful  to  keep  out  of  its  way.  In 
fact,  they  all  fled  to  a  considerable  distance  from  the 
scene,  for  an  officer  in  the  new-comer  poured  some 
vials  of  wrath  upon  them  for  their  disregard  of  the 
sanitary  regulations  of  the  port,  which  allow  no  one 
to  board  a  vessel  till  after  the  medical  inspection. 

"  Bon  jour,  3fessieurs,"  said  the  sanitary  officer, 
after  the  captain  had  ordered  the  gangway  steps  to 
be  placed  for  him. 

"  Answer  him,  Louis,"  said  Scott. 

^'  Bon  jour,  Monsieur  le  docteu?',"  replied  the  owner. 

"AVell,  you  speak  French  very  well,"  added  the 
visitor  with  a  pleasant  smile,  still  using  the  polite 
language,  and  he  was  evidently  a  Frenchman.  "  Have 
you  any  sick  persons  on  board  ?  " 

'^Kot  one  on  either  vessel,"  replied  Louis.     "But 


THE  ONSLAUGHT  OF   THE  ORIENTAL  BEGGAilS    75 

this  little  steamer  is  only  tlie  tender  of  the  ship, 
which  is  a  yacht  from  New  York,  last  from  Malaga, 
and  the  bill  of  health  is  on  board  of  her." 

The  Frenchman  asked  a  few  more  questions,  and 
was  exceedingly  polite,  though  probably  the  surround- 
ing boatmen  did  not  think  so.  Captain  Einggold 
spoke  French  only  indifferently,  though  like  most 
persons  who  have  little  or  no  practice,  he  had  for- 
gotten a  considerable  portion  of  what  he  had  formerly 
known.  He  stood  on  the  landing  of  the  gangway,  and 
heard  the  brief  conversation  on  the  deck  of  the  ]*>Iaud. 
He  asked  Louis  to  come  with  the  doctor,  thou2:h  he 
had  a  Frenchman  on  board  in  the  person  of  Professor 
Giroud,  and  Mr.  Gaskette  spoke  French  fluently. 

"  Good-morning,  Captain,"  said  the  medical  gentle- 
man in  tolerable  English. 

The  commander  was  relieved,  produced  his  papers, 
and  the  inspection  proved  to  be  a  mere  matter  of 
form,  though  the  doctor  was  conducted  through  the 
lower  part  of  the  ship  to  enable  him  to  see  for  himself 
that  all  was  right.  As  politely  as  he  had  come,  he 
took  his  leave,  and  was  ceremoniously  conducted  to 
the  gangway  by  the  commander,  from  which  Louis 
attended  him  to  his  boat. 

As  soon  as  it  had  pulled  away  from  the  ship,  the 
swarm  of  boats  renewed  the  onslaught.  The  men 
who  were  so  persistent  to  get  on  board  were  runners 
from  the  hotels,  carriage-drivers,  guides,  dragomans, 
with  a  few  donkey  boys,  who  had  procured  places  from 
others,  for  their  business  was  not  large  enough  to  en- 


76  UP   AND    DOWN    THE   NILE 

able  them  to  run  boats  to  procure  customers.  They 
were  dressed  in  all  sorts  of  costumes,  not  excepting  a 
few  in  the  European,  though  most  of  them  wore  Turk- 
ish garments.  Several  of  them  could  speak  a  little 
English,  but  most  of  them  jabbered  in  Arabic. 

The  order  of  the  commander  was  again  enforced, 
and  the  men  were  told  to  say  that  no  one  would  go  on 
shore  at  present,  which  the  sailors  did  in  nautical 
English,  not  much  of  which  could  have  been  under- 
stood. The  ofi&cers  did  it  better,  though  no  one  but  Don 
John,  the  engineer,  could  make  an  effective  impression 
upon  them.  In  the  midst  of  the  confusion  a  custom- 
house boat  made  its  way  through  them,  and  a  couple 
of  officers  mounted  the  deck  of  the  Maud.  The  prin- 
cipal one  spoke  French,  though  he  answered  Captain 
Scott  in  fair  English.  Louis  explained  that  the  ship 
was  a  yacht  and  the  Maud  her  tender,  and  that  neither 
was  a  merchantman  or  passenger  steamer.  Then  he 
conducted  both  of  them  to  the  deck  of  the  Guardian- 
Mother. 

Mr.  Gaskette  explained  more  fully  the  character  of 
the  two  vessels,  assuring  the  officers  that  no  goods 
would  be  landed,  and  that  the  passengers  would  re- 
main on  board  for  the  present.  The  commander 
repeated  the  substance  of  what  had  been  said  in  Eng- 
lish. But  the  officer  said  that  he  and  his  associate 
must  remain  on  board  during  the  stay  of  the  vessels. 
He  was  invited  to  breakfast  in  the  cabin,  and  re- 
quested to  make  himself  entirely  at  home. 

It  required  some  time  to  convince  the  occupants  of 


THE  ONSLAUGHT  OF   THE  ORIENTAL  BEGGARS    77 

the  boats  that  no  one  was  going  on  shore  from  the 
ship  or  her  consort.  Most  of  them  returned  to  the 
landing-place  at  last,  but  a  few,  evidently  of  a  better 
class  than  the  others,  still  remained,  begging  and 
pleading  to  be  permitted  to  come  on  board  :  but  the 
officers  and  seamen  were  immovable. 

The  cabin  party  were  still  on  the  promenade, 
amused  by  the  scene  alongside.  The  commander 
joined  them  as  soon  as  he  had  discharged  his  duties 
on  deck,  and  pointed  out  some  of  the  prominent 
objects  that  were  now  in  sight,  among  them  Pom- 
pey's  Pillar,  the  custom-house,  several  mosques  and 
churches,  and  some  old  palaces  in  a  ruinous  condition. 
The  gong  sounded  for  breakfast,  and  the  party  de- 
scended to  the  cabin.  On  the  way  he  called  for  Don, 
and  sent  him  ashore  to  procure  certain  books  he  de- 
sired, and  had  not  been  able  to  obtain  elsewhere.  The 
engineer  had  been  here  before  in  a  Spanish  steamer, 
and  knew  his  way  about  the  city.  Both  of  the  custom- 
house officers  appeared  to  be  gentlemen,  and  seats 
were  given  them  at  the  table. 


78  UP   Ais^D   DOWis^   THE   NIKE 


CHAPTER   IX 

A    PATRIOTIC    ORATOR    ON    HIS    FEET 

"  These  beggars  whicli  one  meets  in  Egypt  are  a 
great  nuisance,  Mrs.  Belgrave,"  said  Captain  Eing- 
gold,  as  lie  seated  himself  at  the  head  of  the  table,  with 
Louis  on  his  right,  and  his  mother  next  to  her  son. 

^'- 1  have  not  seen  any  beggars,"  replied  the  lady. 

"Because  I  have  not  allowed  them  to  come  on 
board.  They  are  not  really  beggars,  though  I  call 
them  all  so,  for  they  all  ask  for  something,  though  it 
may  not  be  for  alms.  When  a  passenger  steamer 
comes  in,  hordes  of  these  fellows  swarm  on  board  of 
her  as  soon  as  the  health  inspection  is  finished,  and 
they  make  life  a  burden  to  visitors  \o  the  land  of 
Egypt. 

"  They  desire  to  improve  their  fortunes  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  European  and  American  travellers  who 
come  here,  and  all  of  them  are  considered  fair  game 
to  these  sharpers.  The  largest  and  noisiest  part  of 
the  crowd  are  the  boatmen,  who  want  the  job  to  take 
you  on  shore.  There  are  half  a  dozen  hotels  in  Alex- 
andria that  are  available  for  foreigners,  and  each  of 
them  has  one  or  more  touters  on  board  to  look  out 
for  the  interests  of  their  employers." 


A   PATRIOTIC    ORATOK   ON    HIS    FEET  79 

"I  think  I  should  be  glad  to  take  one  of  them/' 
suggested  the  lady. 

"  It  would  be  wise  for  you  to  do  so  if  you  had  de- 
cided what  hotel  you  would  patronize/'  continued  the 
captain.  "  I  went  to  the  Khedivial  when  I  was  here 
the  last  time.  If  you  employ  a  hotel  runner,  he  will 
do  everything  for  you,  and  it  is  not  for  the  interest  of 
his  hotel  to  cheat  you,  especially  in  tlie  beginning; 
then  he  will  take  you  under  his  protection,  and  rid 
you  of  the  importunities  of  the  vagabonds." 

"He  is  rather  a  good  fellow,  then,"  suggested 
Louis. 

"He  is  indeed.  Most  of  these  fellows  will  cheat 
you  out  of  your  eye-teeth ;  and  the  fact  that  you  have 
made  a  bargain  with  one  of  them  is  not  always  a  pro- 
tection, though  you  will  find  many  Egyptians  and 
Arabs  who  are  as  honest  as  the  people  of  any  other 
country.  Once,  when  I  was  here,  I  hired  a  boatman 
to  pull  me  down  to  El-Meks  for  a  certain  sum,  I  forget 
what  it  was  now ;  but  when  he  had  made  half  the  dis- 
tance, he  stopped  and  demanded  double  the  sum  upon 
which  we  had  agreed. 

"  I  knew  a  few  words  of  Arabic  then,  and  he  had  a 
few  of  English.  I  tried  to  reason  with  him,  but  he 
insisted  on  double  the  price  arranged.  He  insisted 
on  robbing  me,  threatened  to  upset  the  boat,  and  to 
stay  where  we  were  all  night.  I  could  not  stand  the 
threats,  and  I  took  from  my  pocket  a  small  revolver 
I  always  carried,  and  pointed  it  at  his  head.  He  did 
not  like  this  kind  of  argument,  and  he  pulled  for  our 


80  UP  AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

destination.  When  we  got  there,  I  paid  him  what  I 
had  agreed,  and  gave  him  no  bakshish,  as  I  should 
have  if  he  had  not  tried  to  rob  me." 

"  Bakshish  —  that  is  a  very  common  word  here," 
said  Louis.     "  How  do  you  spell  it,  Captain  ?  " 

•'  It  is  Arabic,  and  you  can  spell  it  any  way  you 
lease,  and  pay  nothing  for  the  privilege.  B-a-k  suits 
m3  best  for  the  first  syllable,  though  a  c  is  often  in- 
serted before  the  k ;  but  the  easiest  way  that  does  the 
business  is  the  best.  S-h-i-s-h  for  the  second  ;  "  and 
the  captain  wrote  it  on  the  back  of  a  letter. 

"  What  is  the  effect  of  the  circumflex  accent  over 
the  {  ?  "  asked  Louis. 

"  I  have  studied  what  Arabic  there  is  in  the  guide 
book,  though  I  have  forgotten  almost  all  of  it.  / 
in  this  language  is  pronounced  like  e,  and  the  accent 
lengthens  the  sound  so  that  it  is  double  e;  and  for 
this  reason  Webster  gives  the  word  backsheesh  for  one 
form  of  it.  The  circumflex  has  the  same  effect  on  all 
vowels  when  you  see  Arabic  words  written  in  English 
letters. 

"  You  will  learn  the  word  by  heart  before  you  get 
out  of  Egypt,  and  however  they  may  spell  it,  they  all 
pronounce  it  the  same." 

The  meal  was  finished,  and  all  the  party  hastened 
on  deck.  Three  of  the  "  Big  Four  "  had  taken  their 
breakfast  on  board  of  the  Maud,  with  one  of  the 
custom-house  oflicers  as  a  guest.  The  awning  had 
been  spread  on  the  upper  deck  of  the  ship,  and  a 
sufficient  number  of   armchairs  had  been  placed  for 


A  PATRIOTIC    ORATOR   ON    HIS   FEET  81 

the  whole  company,  and  those  on  board  of  the  consort 
were  sent  for.  When  the  party  were  seated,  Captain 
Einggold  stood  up  before  them. 

"Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to 
call  this  occasion  a  Conference,  as  you  may  have 
noticed  during  the  last  three  months.  I  borrowed 
this  word  from  Professor  Giroud,  because  I  do  not 
like  to  have  any  of  you  accuse  me  of  having  given  a 
lecture,  when  I  have  told  you  what  little  I  know  about 
some  of  the  countries  we  visit,  and  the  term  had  an- 
other meaning,  a  "  — 

"  Une  mercuriale  "  prompted  the  professor,  when  he 
saw  that  the  commander  had  forgotten  the  French 
word.  "  It  means  a  speech,  a  lecture,  such  as  we 
sometimes  have  to  give  the  boys  when  they  neglect 
their  lessons,  a  reprimand,  a  rebuke." 

"Thank  you,  Professor;  you  have  given  just  the 
idea  with  which  I  was  struggling.  In  a  word,  what 
some  of  you  insist  upon  calling  a  lecture  shall  now  be 
a  Conference,  for  the  word  seems  to  me  to  be  less  for- 
midable and  less  ceremonious  than  lecture,"  replied 
the  commander.  "  I  have  given  out  subjects  to  every 
member  of  the  party.  But  I  am  afraid  if  all  of  you 
treat  them  at  full  length,  it  will  take  a  week  to  go 
through   them   all.      I   hope   all  will   be   reasonably 

brief. 

"  I  have  placed  the  topics  in  what  I  regard  as  their 
proper  order,  after  consulting  the  several  learned 
gentlemen  on  board,  and  asked  them  to  suggest  sub- 
jects to  me.     That  of  geography  was  given  to  me ;  and 


82  UP   AND   liOSVN   THE   NILE 

as  it  is  the  first  on  the  list,  it  devolves  upon  me 
to  open  the  ball  —  I  don't  mean  the  dance,  Mrs. 
Blossom,  but  the  ball  which  contains  needed  infor- 
mation. 

"  The  country  in  the  north-east  of  Africa,  taking  in 
about  all  the  territory  watered  by  the  Nile,  is  called 
the  Egyptian  Empire ;  and  it  is  as  big  as  two-thirds 
of  Eussia  in  Europe.  But  a  considerable  part  of  this 
vast  region  is  hardly  more  than  a  myth,  and  much  of 
it  consists  of  sandy  deserts,  and  all  the  southern  part 
is  very  loosely  held,  the  Khedive's  armies  having 
sometimes  been  driven  out  of  it.  While  the  whole 
area  of  the  empire  is  a  million  and  a  quarter  square 
miles,  the  real,  substantial,  cultivable  Egypt  all  lies 
between  the  Mediterranean  Sea  and  the  first  cataract, 
in  latitude  about  twenty -four  north,  and  consists  of 
only  11,373  square  miles,  about  the  same  as  Maryland 
and  Delaware  united. 

"  In  the  Libyan  Desert,  which  is  a  part  of  Sahara, 
are  several  oases  which  are  very  productive,  especially 
The  Eayiim.  From  east  to  west,  the  country  extends 
from  about  twenty-eight  to  thirty-eight  east  longitude, 
■  aking  in  most  of  the  Libyan  Desert  and  the  Penin- 
ula  of  Sinai.  The  part  north  of  the  first  cataract 
s  called  Lower  Egypt,  while  that  part  south  of  it  is 
Jpper  Egypt,  though  some  of  the  guide-book  makers 
say  the  divisions  ought  to  be  called  the  other  way. 
In  the  southern  part  are  the  Soudan,  bordering  on 
the  kingdom  of  Abyssinia,  Dongola,  Berber,  Dariur, 
Sennar,  and  other  divisions.     But  as  I  said  before,  all 


A  PATRIOTIC  ORATOR  ON  HIS  FEET     83 

this  southern  part  around  the  sources  of  the  Nile  are 
still  rather  indefinite  divisions." 

To  be  consistent  with  the  hint  he  had  given,  he 
made  his  portion  of  the  Conference  much  briefer  than 
he  might  have  done.  As  he  was  about  to  take  his 
chair,  he  discovered  Don  standing  near  him  with  a 
roll  and  a  bundle  in  his  hand,  which  he  handed  to  the 
commander  as  soon  as  he  saw  that  he  was  disengaged. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  come,  Don  John,"  said  he,  as 
he  took  the  roll,  and  spread  it  out,  and  then  secured  it 
to  a  stanchion  with  the  assistance  of  the  engineer,  so 
that  it  could  be  seen  by  all  the  members  of  the  party. 

It  was  a  map  of  Upper  ar.d  Lower  Egypt,  about  six 
feet  square,  with  some  of  the  adjoining  territory. 
The  captain  sent  to  the  pilot-house  for  a  brass  curtain 
rod  he  had  used  in  his  cabin  for  a  pointer,  With  this 
in  his  hand  he  proceeded  to  review  v\'hat  he  had  said, 
pointing  out  the  various  localities  and  boundaries  on 
the  map;  and  certainly  he  made  his  remarks  much 
plainer  to  his  audience. 

"  The  next  topic  is  the  Nile,  and  it  was  assigned  to 
Mr.  Belgrave.  I  have  endeavored  not  to  steal  any 
of  his  thunder  in  what  I  had  to  say,  though  the 
temptation  to  do  so  was  difhcult  to  resist,"  said  the 
commander. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  resisted  the  temptation.  Captain 
Ringgold,  for  you  could  have  done  my  part  much 
better  than  I  can,"  Louis  proceeded,  as  he  rose  and 
took  from  his  breast-pocket  a  rather  bulky  manuscript. 
'<  I  beg  you  will  not  be  alarmed,  for  what  I  have  to 


84  UP   AND    DOWN    THE   NILE 

say  about  what  some  call  the  longest  river  in  the 
world  will  be  mainly  extemporaneous,  and  I  shall 
endeavor  to  act  on  the  hint  in  regard  to  brevity  which 
has  been  given." 

"But  don't  leave  out  too  much  of  it.  Take  the 
pointer,  and  let  us  see  as  well  as  hear,"  interposed 
the  captain. 

"  The  Nile,  according  to  a  guide-book  I  picked  up  in 
Athens,  is  one  of  the  three  longest  rivers  of  the  world, 
which  are  stated  to  be  four  thousand  miles  long.  The 
Mississippi,  with  the  Missouri,  which  is  as  much  a 
part  of  it  as  the  White  and  the  Blue  Nile  are  a  part 
of  the  Nile  proper,  is  entirely  ignored.  The  Amazon, 
the  Congo,  and  the  Mle  are  called  the  three  longest 
rivers ;  and  I  take  it  upon  myself  to  defend  the 
national  honor  of  the  United  States  of  America." 

This  introduction  was  greeted  by  an  enthusiastic 
burst  of  applause,  started  by  Scott  and  Felix,  and 
taken  up  by  every  member  of  the  party,  not  excepting 
the  commander  and  the  ladies.  But  a  general  laugh 
accompanied  it,  and  Louis's  smiling  face  indicated  that 
he  was  not  entirely  serious. 

"  Without  a  blush,  inserted  in  parenthesis,  my  book 
proceeds  to  style  the  Nile  the  'Father  of  Kivers,' 
thus  practically  robbing  the  Mississippi  of  its  long- 
acknowledged  title  of  the  ^Father  of  Waters.'  I  sub- 
mit that  this  is  an  outrage  (violent  applause),  and 
little  short  of  an  insult  to  the  flag  of  the  Union, 
which  floats  majestically  at  the  peak  of  the  G.-M." 

^'  This  is  tlie  fifth  of  December,  and  not  the  fourth 


A   PATRIOTIC    ORATOK    ON    HIS    FEET  85 

July,"    interposed    Captain    Ringgold,    laughing    so 
heartily  that  he  could  hardly  speak. 

"But  patriotism  is  not  an  attribute  of  the  fourth 
of  July  only,  and  every  true  American  is  as  much 
bound  to  defend  the  honor  of  his  country  on  the  fifth 
of  December  as  on  the  fourth  of  July,"  continued 
Louis,  making  a  spread  eagle  of  himself,  much  to  the 
merriment  of  the  party;  and  his  last  remark  was 
received  with  another  storm  of  applause. 

Possibly  the  officers  and  some  of  the  seamen  of  the 
ship  thought  the  denizens  of  the  cabin  had  gone  mad 
or  wild,  but  they  immediately  sought  positions  where 
they  could  ascertain  what  was  going  on  upon  the 
upper  deck. 

"  But  I  wish  to  be  reasonable,"  pursued  the  fervid 
orator,  suddenly  elongating  his  smiling  face,  so  that 
his  expression  was  consistent  with  his  words.  "I 
could  not  be  satisfied  with  the  statements  of  the  work 
from  which  I  have  quoted ;  but  if  they  were  true,  I 
felt  obliged  to  accept  them,  even  if  they  washed  all 
the  stars  out  of  the  flag  I  reverence  as  the  emblem  of 
my  country  and  its  liberty.  I  examined  an  English 
work,  for  I  wish  to  be  impartial,  and  especially  urdn- 
fluenced  by  patriotic  considerations,  and  I  found  the 
lencfbhs  of  the  rivers  mentioned  as  follows :  Missis- 
sippi,  4096;  Amazon,  3545;  Nile,  4000.  The  work 
that  gave  these  three  did  not  mention  the  Congo  at 
all ;  and  I  went  to  another  English  volume  published 
only  last  year,  which  gave  the  Congo  at  'over  3000.' 
"  According  to  these  figures  the  Mississippi  is  still 


86  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

entitled  to  be  regarded  as  the  '  Father  of  Waters ; ' 
and  '  long  may  she  v/ave  ! '  In  order  to  be  wholly  and 
entirely  fair,  as  I  believe  my  British  authorities  are,  I 
ought  to  add  that  the  Nile  and  Congo  have  not  yet 
been  sufficiently  explored  to  fix  their  lengths  defi- 
nitely. When  the  Eoyal  Geographical  Society  of 
England  decides  without  a  perad venture  upon  the 
lengths  of  these  two  rivers,  I  for  one  very  humble 
person  interested  in  getting  at  the  truth,  shall  be 
happy  to  ^  acknowledge  the  corn,'  and  admit  that  tlie 
Nile  is  bigger  than  the  Mississippi.  I  have  some- 
thing to  say  about  the  Nile,  Mr.  Commander,  for  it  is 
a  very  interesting  stream  in  spite  of  the  assumption 
put  forth  in  regard  to  it ;  but  if  I  have  exhausted  my 
time,  I  will  take  my  seat." 

'•  Go  on !  Go  on ! "  shouted  all  the  boys  and  most 
of  the  gentlemen. 

"It  seems  to  be  the  pleasure  of  the  company 
that  you  proceed,  Mr.  Belgrave,"  replied  the  com- 
mander. 

But  just  at  this  moment  Mr.  Boulong  placed  him- 
self at  the  side  of  Captain  Binggold,  and  appeared  to 
have  something  to  say.  He  touched  his  cap  when  tho 
commander  looked  at  him. 

"  An  Egyptian  gentleman  alongside  exhibits  a 
letter,  and  says  he  is  instructed  to  deliver  it  to  the 
captain  in  person,"  said  Mr.  Boulong. 

"  I  cannot  be  interrupted  now ;  but  if  he  is  willing 
to  wait  till  I  am  disengaged,  you  may  permit  him 
to  come  on  board,"   replied  the  commander,  turning 


A    PATIUOTIC    OR  ATOP.    ON    HIS   FEET  87 

his    attention   to    Louis.     •'  You    may   proceed,   Mr. 
Belgrave." 

Louis  had  been  looking  at  his  manuscript  while  the 
commander  was  occupied ;  but  he  closed  it,  and  took 
the  pointer  in  his  hand.  After  a  glance  at  the  map, 
he  began  to  give  his  account  of  the  Xile. 


88  UP   AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 


CHAPTER  X 

THE    INUNDATION    AND    THE    CLIMATE    OF    EGYPT 

"  To  tlie  ancient  Egyptians  the  Nile  was  the  sacred 
river ;  and  the  service  it  rendered  to  them  well  enti- 
tled it  to  be  so  regarded,  to  say  nothing  of  the  fact 
that  it  was  the  only  one  known  to  them,"  Louis  be- 
gan. "  It  gets  most  of  its  water  from  the  two  great 
lakes,  the  Albert  Nyanza  and  the  Victoria  Nyanza. 
There  are  other  large  lakes  south  of  these  which  may 
be  connected  with  them.  The  Victoria  is  the  larger 
of  the  two,  and  the  equator  passes  through  it.  It  is 
said  to  contain  30,000  square  miles ;  and  patriotic 
geographers  may  add  a  couple  of  thousand  miles  to  it 
in  order  to  give  it  a  greater  area  than  Lake  Superior, 
which  has  41,200  miles,  and  is  the  greatest  body  of 
fresh  water  on  the  earth.  Some  rivers  from  the  south 
flow  into  the  lakes,  and  doubtless  the  length  of  these 
will  be  added  to  the  Nile  in  due  time." 

The  "  twins,"  as  Uncle  Moses  had  sometimes  called 
Dr.  Hawkes  and  himself  on  account  of  their  alder- 
manic  proportions,  shook  their  great  bulk  with  sup- 
pressed mirth  at  the  satire  of  the  speaker;  and  the 
boys  were  disposed  to  indulge  in  more  applause, 
which  the  commander  prevented  by  raising  his  hand. 


INUNDATION   AND   CLIMATE   OF   EGYPT         89 

"These  lakes  have  been  discovered  within  the 
memory  of  those  present  who  are  older  than  the  '  Big 
Four,'  and  European  and  American  geographers,  in- 
cluding Stanley,  have  been  searching  over  this  region 
within  my  time.  The  source  of  the  Nile  was  a  mys- 
tery for  about  two  thousand  years,  the  Emperor  Xero 
having  begun  the  search ;  and  since  that  time  Speke, 
Baker,  Dr.  Livingstone,  Stanley,  and  other  explorers 
have  continued  it,  and  the  question  has  been  settled. 
I  have  not  time  to  follow  them,  and  our  affair  at 
present  is  with  the  Xile  in  Egypt  proper. 

"The  great  river  is  formed  by  the  junction  of  the 
White  and  Blue  Nile  at  Khartum,  latitude  about  six- 
teen. The  White  comes  from  the  region  of  the  equa- 
tor, and,  besides  the  lake,  is  fed  by  a  multitude  of 
streams  from  the  south-west.  The  Blue  rises  in  the 
mountains  of  Abyssinia,  and  the  greater  portion  of 
its  water  comes  from  Lake  Tana,  on  a  plateau  o,6oS 
feet  above  the  sea.  This  stream  takes  its  name  from 
the  color  of  its  water,  which  is  true  also  of  the  White. 
After  getting  down  from  the  mountains,  the  Blue 
passes  through  Sennar,  an  exceedingly  fertile  region, 
where  it  gathers  some  of  its  mud.  Two  hundred 
miles  below  Khartum,  the "  —  Louis  had  to  stop  and 
refer  to  his  manuscript,  which  made  the  boys  laugh. 

"  I  don't  bother  with  the  Arabic  words,  for  I  can't 
remember  them  ;  but  two  hundred  miles  below  Khar- 
tum, the  Atbara  flows  into  the  Blue  Nile ;  and  I 
hope  you  will  all  remember  this  name  better  than 
I  did.     This  stream  is  also  called  the  Bahr-al-Aswad," 


90  UP  AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

continued  the  speaker,  reading  from  liis  manuscript. 
"I  give  you  this  Arabic  name  because  you  will  ?J1 
know  that  it  means  the  Black  Nile.  Like  the  other 
NileSy  it  takes  its  name  from  its  color ;  and  here  is 
where  the  most  of  the  mud  comes  from.  The  rich 
black  soil  is  floated  down  on  the  fields  of  Lower 
Egypt,  and  gives  them  their  remarkable  fertility. 

"  About  twenty  miles  below  the  Albert  Nyanza  the 
river  takes  a  leap  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
down  into  a  rocky  gorge.  It  drops  twelve  feet  after 
leaving  the  Victoria.  The  navigation  is  piecemeal 
until  the  river  reaches  the  first  cataract,  though  there 
is  a  run  of  nine  hundred  miles  below  Khartum  where 
the  river  is  slow  and  sluggish.  In  some  parts  of  the 
distant  regions,  it  almost  dries  up  in  the  hottest  sea- 
son. There  are  six  cataracts  below  Khartum,  through 
some  of  which  boats  are  hauled  by  the  skilled  boat- 
men ;  and  I  suppose  you  Avill  see  at  least  the  first  of 
them. 

"  The  breadth  of  the  valley  of  the  Nile  —  please  to 
notice,  Mrs.  Blossom,  that  I  say  the  valley  of  the  Nile, 
and  not  the  Nile  itself  —  is  from  four  and  a  half  to 
ten  miles  in  Nubia ; "  and  the  commander  shook  his 
head  at  this  bit  of  personality. 

"  Ten  miles  !  "  exclaimed  the  lady  whose  name  had 
been  mentioned.  "  That's  nothing,  even  for  the  width 
of  a  river.  Isn't  the  Amazon  a  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  wide  at  its  mouth  ?  " 

"  I  stand  corrected,"  replied  Louis,  Avith  a  graceful 
bow  to  the  lady,  correctly  interpreting  the  gesture  of 


I^'UInDATiUX    and   CLniATE    UF    EGITT         91 

of  the  captain,  '-though.  I  was  speaking  of  a  region 
nearly  a  thousand  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
The  breadth  of  the  valley  of  the  Nile  between  the 
hills  and  the  mountains  on  each  side  of  it,  and  taking 
in  the  barren  strip  that  borders  the  stream  on  both 
sides,  is  from  four  and  a  half  to  ten  miles  in  Nubia, 
and  from  fourteen  to  thirty-two  in  Egypt  proper. 
The  hills  on  the  Libyan  side  are  sometimes  a  thou- 
sand feet  high.  The  width  of  the  arable  region  varies 
greatly,  as  does  the  valley  of  the  river  ;  but  it  does 
not  exceed  nine  miles  in  any  place.*' 

"  Only  nine  miles !  "  exclaimed  Uncle  jMoses. 

^'  So  the  books  say,  and  I  never  measured  it,"  re- 
plied Louis.  '"But  if  we  call  the  river  three  thou- 
sand miles  long,  this  would  give  an  area  of  arable 
territory  of  27,000  square  miles,  almost  as  many  as 
there  are  in  the  whole  of  the  State  of  Maine." 

"  Big  enough,"  chuckled  the  trustee.  "  But  the 
captain  said  Egypt  was  about  as  big  as  Belgium." 

"  He  spoke  of  Lower  Egypt  only.  The  soil  brought 
down  by  the  Nile  is  from  thirty-three  to  thirty-eight 
feet  deep,  piled  up  for  centuries  on  a  bed  of  sand. 
This  rich  earth  is  unlike  any  other  knowTi,  and  the 
deposit  is  increased  every  year.  The  annual  inunda- 
tion is  caused  by  the  rains  in  the  Abyssinian  moun-/ 
tains,  and  the  rise  is  not  therefore  always  the  same. 
It  always  comes  at  the  same  season,  and  the  trade 
winds  have  something  to  do  with  it,  for  the  rains  from 
the  equatorial  regions  contribute  to  the  rise  of  tha 
waters. 


92  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"About  tlie  first  of  June  the  river  begins  to  rise 
slowly,  and  six  weeks  later  it  increases  very  rapidly. 
Near  the  end  of  September  it  reaches  its  height,  and 
remains  so  for  a  couple  of  weeks.  In  the  last  part 
of  October  it  rises  again,  and  then  it  attains  its  great- 
est level.  Even  after  it  has  begun  to  subside,  it  gives 
another  spasmodic  jerk,  and  has  been  known  to  mount 
higher  than  before.  Then  it  drops  steadily  at  first, 
and  after  a  while  it  goes  down  faster  and  faster.  On 
this  fifth  day  of  December  the  inundation  is  subsiding, 
though  it  is  still  high  water,  comparatively  speaking. 

"  During  the  first  three  months  of  the  year,  the 
regions  from  which  the  water  has  gradually  receded 
dry  up  (as  it  is  time  for  me  to  do),  and  the  river  is 
lowest  about  the  first  of  June.  This  subject  of  the 
inundation  has  been  faithfully  studied  by  native  and 
foreign  savants,  and  it  has  been  found  that  a  rise  of 
forty-one  feet  two  inches  is  the  most  favorable  to  the 
agriculture  of  the  country,  for  a  rise  of  two  feet  more 
makes  mischief  in  the  Delta  by  covering  the  land  for 
the  important  autumn  crops  with  water ;  and  a  defi- 
ciency of  four  feet  causes  a  famine  and  drought  in  the 
upper  regions. 

"  In  the  time  of  Herodotus,  16  cubits,  or  28.7  feet, 
was  enough ;  and  the  God  of  the  Nile  was  represented 
with  sixteen  children  about  him  for  this  reason.  The 
water  sent  down  by  the  inundation  is  economized  at 
the  present  time  by  modern  appliances  in  the  shape 
of  canals  and  reservoirs.  There  are  machines  in  use 
for  raising  water  for  the  purpose  of  irrigation,  from 


INUNDATION    AND    CLIMATE   OF    EGYPT         93 

those  run  by  steam  to  simpler  ones  worked  by  hand. 
The  Barrage,  about  twelve  miles  below  Cairo,  is  some- 
thing like  a  big  bridge,  fitted  with  locks  like  a  canal 
for  holding  back  the  water.  It  was  intended  to  dis- 
tribute the  Avater  as  it  was  needed,  and  also  to  improve 
the  navigation  below  it,  for  the  larger  craft  were 
stopped  by  shoals  at  the  season  of  low  water. 

"  This  immense  structure  was  begun  by  Mohammed 
Ali,  of  whom  you  will  learn  more  later ;  but  it  was  a 
failure  at  first,  and  for  twenty  years  it  was  an  impedi- 
ment to  navigation.  Less  than  ten  years  ago  a  couple 
of  English  engineers  examined  the  work,  and  con- 
cluded that  it  could  be  utilized.  The  pressure  of  the 
water  had  burst  through  the  gates,  and  ruined  some 
of  them.  The  engineers  experimented  with  the  gates, 
and  then  lowered  them  inch  by  inch,  and  succeeded 
in  producing  a  decided  effect  upon  the  level  of  the 
stream.  It  would  require  a  million  dollars  to  com- 
plete the  work,  and  only  time  can  tell  whether  or  not 
it  will  be  completely  successful. 

"  If  I  should  read  all  that  I  have  written,  I  should 
keep  you  on  deck  all  the  rest  of  the  day  ;  and  there- 
fore, as  the  Nile  is  doing  at  the  present  time,  I  will 
subside,"  Louis  concluded,  and  resumed  his  chair. 

A  liberal  portion  of  applause  was  bestowed  upon 
him,  in  which  the  boys  appeared  to  be  the  prominent 
factors,  though  all  the  party  joined,  and  the  com- 
mander did  him  the  honor  to  say  that  he  had  done 
very  well. 

^'Perhaps  the  subject  next  in  order  is  properly  the 


94  UP    AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

history  of  this  marvellous  country ;  but  as  the  Pro- 
fessor may  need  more  time  than  we  can  afford  this 
forenoon,  I  shall  call  upon  Dr.  Hawkes  to  give  us 
his  information  in  regard  to  the  climate  of  Egypt. 
This  Conference  is  entirely  informal ;  and  those  who 
prefer  to  sit  while  speaking  are  entirely  at  liberty 
to  do  so,  and  v/ill  not  be  regarded  as  in  the  least 
degree  impolite,"  said  the  commander  at  this  point. 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Commander,  for  your  kind  con- 
sideration," replied  the  surgeon,  chuckling  in  concert 
with  Brother  Avoirdupois.  "I  suppose  it  is  con- 
sidered a  more  difficult  matter  for  the  heaviest  man 
on  board  of  the  ship  to  stand,  than  for  light  bodies 
like  that  of  the  entertaining  young  gentleman  who 
has  just  taken  his  seat." 

"But  you  outweigh  me.  Brother  Adipose  Tissue, 
by  only  four  ounces,"  interposed  Uncle  Moses.  "  You 
make  altogether  too  much  ado  about  your  quarter  of 
a  pound." 

"  I  admit  that  Brother  Avoirdupois  is  my  twin  fel- 
low-voyager in  spite  of  the  difference  in  our  weight. 
Four  ounces  of  strychnia  would  kill  thousands  of  men ; 
and  therefore  it  is  not  an  insignificant  quantity." 

"  But  four  ounces  of  wheat  would  not  keep  a  man 
alive  for  any  great  length  of  time ;  and  therefore  it 
is  an  insignificant  quantity,"  retorted  Uncle  Moses. 
"  But  climate  is  the  topic  just  now." 

"Not  till  I  have  declared  that  I  am  keeping  my 
seat  solely  and  simply  as  a  precedent  for  my  worthy 
Brother  Avoirdupois,  for  he  is  exceedingly  bashful, 


INUNDATION   AND   CLIMATE   OF   EGYPT         95 

and  would  not  have  stood  up  during  his  disquisition 
without  one,"  returned  the  doctor.  "  But  my  learned 
legal  friend  would  talk  all  day  if  I  permitted  him  to 
do  so  ;  and  while  I  recommend  him  to  cork  up  his 
vials  for  his  discourse,  I  will  go  on  with  mine. 

^'  The  climate  of  Egypt  is  in  some  degree  influenced 
by  the  great  river  which  our  young  friend  has  so 
effectively  described  ;  but  they  say  that  the  desert, 
which  we  generally  regard  as  a  very  hot  and  disagree- 
able region,  is  its  principal  regulator.  I  suppose  you 
can  all  understand  the  immense  absorbing  power  of  a 
vast  quantity  of  dry  sand.  The  rains  that  fall  in  the 
winter  on  the  country  about  the  Mediterranean  are 
eaten  up,  so  to  speak,  by  the  dry  air  of  the  desert, 
which  extends  nearly  across  the  continent.  Other- 
wise these  rains  would  extend  far  up  the  Nile  valley. 
They  would  also  convert  2,500  square  miles  of  low 
lands  about  the  Delta  into  a  region  so  unhealthy  that 
it  could  not  be  inhabited ;  and  this  is  a  tract  half  as 
big  as  the  State  of  Connecticut. 

"  The  air  from  the  desert  in  this  region  is  agreeably 
cool,  and  my  old  friend  Bayard  Taylor  called  it  the 
'  elixir  of  life.'  This  air  contains  a  modicum  of  salt 
from  limestone  rocks,  which  is  beneficial  to  respiration. 
Add  to  this  the  purity  of  the  water  of  the  Nile,  which 
is  excellent  in  spite  of  the  mud  it  brings  down,  though 
I  think  a  filter  would  sometimes  come  into  needed  use. 
"  Throughout  the  greater  part  of  Lower  Egypt,  rain 
is  almost  as  rare  as  snow  is  in  the  West  Indies.  At 
Cairo  in  five  years  the  average  was  an  inch  and  a 


96  UP    AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

half;  in  fourteen  years  at  Alexandria  it  was  eight 
inches,  while  it  is  about  thirty  inches  where  we  come 
from.  In  Upper  Egypt  rain  is  practically  unknown ; 
and  natives  may  be  met  who  have  never  seen  such  a 
thing  as  a  shower. 

"  I  will  not  go  into  the  matter  of  the  various  winds 
that  blow,  or  look  too  closely  into  the  causes  of  the 
climate  of  Egypt.  Gauged  by  the  temperature,  this 
country  has  really  but  two  seasons.  One,  the  season 
of  hot  weather,  lasts  about  eight  months,  from  April 
to  November ;  the  other  is  the  cool  season,  from  De- 
cember to  March.  They  sometimes  have  a  north-west 
wind  in  this  city  which  modifies  the  heat.  In  the 
Delta  the  greatest  heat  is  about  95°,  while  in  Upper 
Egypt  it  mounts  to  109°.  At  Cairo  the  glass  some- 
times goes  up  to  114°  during  the  Khamsin,  as  a  cer- 
tain south  wind  is  called.  Strange  as  it  may  seem  in 
the  exception,  the  mercury  very  seldom  goes  down  to 
freezing,  except  in  the  desert,  and  there  at  night. 
The  mean  temperature  here  and  at  Cairo  is  58°  in 
winter,  78°  in  spring,  83°  in  summer,  and  66°  in 
autumn.  Wishing  to  be  reasonable,  I  will  stop  here, 
Mr.  Commander." 

Hearty  applause,  which  appeared  to  have  become 
a  matter  of  politeness,  followed,  and  all  eyes  were 
turned  to  the  captain  for  the  next  announcement. 


AN    OKIENTAL   YISITOIL   IN   THE   BOUDOLR      97 


CHAPTER  XI 

AX    ORIENTAL    VISITOR    IN    THE    BOUDOIR 

As  soon  as  Dr.  Hawkes  had  finished  his  remarks 
on  the  climate,  the  commander  consulted  his  watch, 
which  he  had  refrained  from  politeness  to  do  while 
any  one  was  speaking.  He  was  satisfied  that  the 
surgeon  had  omitted  a  great  deal  that  might  have 
been  profitably  said  on  his  topic,  though  he  had  given 
all  that  was  essential  to  a  mixed  audience. 

"As  it  wants  only  half  an  hour  of  lunch  time,  I 
shall  not  call  upon  Professor  Giroud  for  the  history  of 
Egypt,  especially  as  I  have  a  matter  of  business  on 
my  hands,"  said  the  captain.  "  I  have  no  doubt  you 
can  profitably  use  the  time  in  observing  the  various 
objects  on  shore,  and  what  is  going  on  in  the  harbor. 
I  have  four  copies  of  the  latest  and  best  guide-book  for 
Egypt,  which  I  sent  for,  and  I  will  hand  them  to  you ;  " 
and  he  tendered  one  of  them  to  Louis. 

"  Thank  you,  but  I  have  one  I  found  in  Athens," 
replied  the  owner. 

They  were  given  out  to  the  party,  and  they  mounted 
the  promenade  to  see  what  was  to  be  seen.  They 
were  placed  where  they  would  do  the  most  good,  and 


98  UP   AND   DOVrX   THE   NILE 

holders  of  tliem  opened  to  the  plan  of  Alexandria,  and 
pointed  out  Pompey's  Pillar.  But  the  names  on  the 
map  were  in  Prench,  and  they  were  passed  to  those 
who  knew  something  of  that  language. 

Captain  Kinggold  went  to  his  cabin,  and  sent  for 
Mr.  Boulong,  who  presently  appeared. 

"  Where  is  the  gentleman  of  whom  you  spoke  to  me, 
Mr.  Boulong  ?  " 

^'I  invited  him  to  the  boudoir,  and  asked  him  to 
help  himself  to  any  book  in  the  case,"  replied  the 
first  officer. 

"  What  sort  of  a  person  is  he  ?  " 

"  He  is  dressed  in  Turkish  costume,  and  is  a  very 
elegant  looking  person.  That  is  really  all  I  know 
about  him,  for  I  asked  no  questions  of  him." 

"  I  will  go  down  and  see  him,"  added  the  commander, 
as  he  rose  from  his  chair. 

"Perhaps  I  ought  to  add,  Captain  Einggold,  that 
I  suspect  I  have  seen  the  gentleman  before,"  said  Mr. 
Boulong.  "  It  is  only  a  suspicion,  and  maybe  I  ought 
not  to  have  mentioned  it.  I  have  been  trying  to  place 
him  since  I  saw  him,  but  without  success." 

"  Was  it  Ali-Noury  Pacha  ?  "  asked  the  commander, 
deeply  interested  in  what  the  ofiicer  had  said. 

"Wlioever  he  may  be,  I  am  sure  it  is  not  the 
Pacha,"  replied  Mr.  Boulong  very  decidedly. 

"Have  you  no  idea  where  you  have  seen  him 
before  ?  " 

"  Not  the  least ;  and  I  have  been  over  all  the  Orien- 
tals I  have  met  from  Algiers  to  Zante." 


AN   ORIENTAL   VISITOR   IN   THE   BOUDOIR      99 

^'  I  have  had  just  such  instances  in  my  o^vn  expe- 
rience, and  I  am  glad  you  spoke  to  me  about  the  mat- 
ter," replied  Captain  Einggold.  "  Will  you  ^ilease  to 
ask  Felix  to  come  to  my  cabin  ?  '' 

Mr.  Boulong  left  the  apartment,  and  the  commander 
dropped  into  his  chair.  The  suspicion  of  the  officer, 
even  if  it  was  nothing  more  than  a  suspicion,  recalled 
the  information  that  Felix  had  procured  the  night  be- 
fore. He  was  certain  that  the  Fatime  was  on  the 
coast ;  but  it  did  not  seem  to  him  probable  in  any  de- 
gree that  she  could  have  made  a  port,  and  sent  an 
agent  of  the  Pacha  to  the  Guardian-Mother  since  she 
had  been  last  observed,  for  the  amateur  detective  had 
reported  that  he  had  seen  her  going  to  the  eastward 
that  morning. 

Cax-jtain  Einggold  was  determined  to  use  the  most 
extraordinary  precautions  to  defeat  any  possible  plot 
of  the  Moor.  The  bugbear  of  childish  fears  did  not 
disturb  him  in  the  least  degree  ;  for  he  preferred  to  be 
charged  with  over-prudence  rather  than  with  the  lack 
of  it,  if  any  disaster  should  happen  to  one  of  the  per- 
Bons  in  his  care. 

Felix  came  to  the  commander's  room,  and  the  latter 
proceeded  to  inform  the  other  what  he  had  just 
learned  from  the  first  officer.  It  was  not  the  Pacha, 
and  that  was  all  the  mate  had  dared  to  affirm. 

"  Was  it  Mazagan  ?  "  inquired  Felix. 
.   "  I  did  not  think  to  ask  about  him.     He  is  on  the 
upper  deck  ;  ask  him  to  come  in  again ;  "  and  pres- 
ently Mr.  Boulong  presented  himself. 


100  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"  You  remember  Captain  Mazagan,  who  was  in  the 
Samothraki  ?  " 

"  I  do,  Captain ;  for  we  made  a  prisoner  of  him, 
and  kept  him  for  some  time  on  board  of  the  ship/' 
replied  Mr.  Boulong. 

"  Was  it  he  who  has  come  on  board  to  see  me  ? '' 
asked  the  captain,  fixing  an  anxious  gaze  upon  the 
officer. 

"  I  should  say  not,  Captain  ;  at  any  rate,  it  did  not 
occur  to  me  that  it  was  Captain  Mazagan,"  replied  the 
mate. 

"  Is  the  visitor  a  tall  or  a  short  man  ?  " 

"  Rather  tall." 

"Mazagan  was  above  the  average  height  of  Turks 
and  Moroccans,"  suggested  the  commander. 

"  But  there  was  nothing  about  this  man  that 
reminded  me  of  Mazagan.  The  gentleman  is  ele- 
gantly dressed,  with  a  general  air  of  refinement  that 
was  utterly  lacking  in  the  Moorish  captain,"  Mr. 
Boulong  explained. 

"  He  was  not  dressed  up  when  we  met  him  on  the 
felucca,"  added  the  captain.  "Dress  sometimes 
makes  a  wonderful  difference  in  the  appearance  of  a 
man." 

"  I  cannot  believe  this  visitor  is  Mazagan ;  but  I 
could  tell  better  if  I  saw  him  again,  with  a  particular 
object  in  view." 

"  I  will  see  him  for  myself,  Mr.  Boulong.  That  is 
all ; "  and  the  first  officer  retired.  "  We  must  find 
out  who  this  man  is  before  he  has  time  to  do  any 


AX   ORIENTAL   VISITOR   IX   THE   BOUDOIR      101 

mischief.  You  were  present  in  the  cafe  at  Gallipoli, 
Felix,  when  Louis  overheard  the  conversation  between 
the  Pacha  and  Mazagan.*' 

"  I  was  ;  but  I  could  not  have  understood  a  word  of 
it,  if  I  had  been  near  enough,  for  the  talk  was  all  in 
French ;  and  Louis's  knowledge  of  that  lingo  no 
doubt  saved  his  bacon." 

"Ask  Louis  to  come  to  me,  Felix/' 

'■'•■  Have  you  done  with  me,  Captain  ?  " 

"  Xo,  Felix ;  I  may  have  a  week's  work  for  you  in 
connection  with  this  matter." 

"A  week's  work,"  repeated  Felix  to  himself,  as  he 
left  the  cabin.  In  a  moment  more  he  returned  with 
Louis,  and  the  situation  was  rehearsed  to  him. 

'■  I  am  going  to  ascertain  who  this  man  is  if  I  don't 
do  anything  else,"  said  the  captain.  "  The  first  thing 
I  wish  to  know  is  whether  or  not  he  speaks  French." 

"  Even  if  he  speaks  it  as  fluently  as  Mazagan  did 
at  Gallipoli,  it  would  not  prove  that  he  was  that 
worthy,"  replied  Louis  with  a  smile. 

"  I  am  aware  of  it ;  but  it  is  one  point  in  the 
inquiry,"  answered  the  captain. 

"Perhaps  he  will  refuse  to  speak  it  if  he  can  do 
so,"  suggested  the  owner. 

"  Then  we  will  do  what  we  can  to  bring  him  out. 
Go  down  to  the  boudoir,  and  don't  utter  a  word  of 
English.  I  appoint  you  to  learn  his  business  with 
me ;  and  you  can  do  it  in  French  as  well  as  in  Eng- 
lish. You  may  go  with  him,  Felix ;  but  be  prudent, 
both  of  you,"  said  the  captain. 


102  UP   AND    DOWN   THE   NILE 

They  descended  to  the  main  deck  and  stopped 
there  for  a  conference  in  regard  to  the  sitiiatiori. 
Louis  suggested  that  his  crony  should  pass  through 
the  boudoir,  take  a  look  at  the  stranger,  and  then  go 
into  the  cabin,  where  he  was  to  remain  till  he  was 
wanted.  Felix  assented  to  the  plan,  and  proceeded 
to  carry  it  out.  He  found  the  Mussulman  busily 
engaged  in  reading  a  book  with  a  red  cover,  which  he 
knew  very  well  was  French,  for  he  had  seen  Louis 
reading  it,  and  he  had  translated  a  page  of  it  for  him. 
He  thought  this  was  something  gained,  and  went  back 
to  the  main  deck  to  tell  his  friend  what  he  had  seen. 
Then  he  made  his  way  through  the  boudoir,  stopping 
there  long  enough  to  scrutinize  the  form  and  features 
of  the  stranger. 

He  took  no  apparent  notice  of  the  visitor,  and  bus- 
ied himself  in  arranging  the  curtains  at  the  windows. 
If  the  Mohammedan  gentleman  looked  at  him  at  all, 
he  did  it  in  a  furtive  manner,  and  kept  his  attention 
fixed  on  the  book.  Louis  allowed  Felix  time  enough 
to  observe  the  stranger,  and  then  came  into  the 
boudoir  himself. 

^'  Bon  jour,  Monsieur, ^^  Louis  began.  ^^  Monsieur  le 
capitaine  est  tres  occujye,  et  il  m^a  envoy e.  vous  de- 
mand er  voire  affair  avecP 

"  I  speak  English ;  I  don't  speak  Italian,"  replied 
the  visitor  very  politely  from  the  sofa;  and  Louis 
noticed  that  he  made  an  effort  to  conceal  the  book  he 
had  been  reading. 

"Italian;   I   don't   speak   Italian,"   replied   Louis, 


AN   ORIENTAL   VISITOR   IN   THE   BOUDOIR      103 

still  using  his  favorite  language,  to  which,  he  had 
given  a  great  deal  of  attention  for  several  years.  "  I 
speak  only  French  and  Spanish  (on  the  present  occa- 
sion)," the  last  clanse  in  too  low  a  tone  to  be  heard. 
''iHahla  V.  Espagnol?'' 

"  Arabic,  Turkish,  English/'  added  the  visitor,  with 
an  abundance  of  smiles. 

^^ Frangais"  said  Louis. 

They  did  not  get  ahead  a  particle  in  speech,  though 
Louis  had  reached  the  obstacle  he  suggested  he  might 
encounter.  If  the  stranger  was  Mazagan,  though  he 
had  not  recognized  him,  like  the  first  officer,  he  sus- 
pected that  he  had  seen  him  before.  It  was  no  use 
for  either  to  talk,  as  the  other  obstinately  refused  to 
do  so,  and  Louis  went  to  the  cabin  staircase,  and 
shouted  quite  loudly  :  — 

"  Fran9ois,"  continuing  to  use  his  French.  ^'  The 
villain  is  here  !  " 

Felix  mumbled  something  that  seemed  like  an 
answer  to  the  announcement  his  crony  had  made  ;  but 
he  took  good  care  that  he  should  not  hear  it. 

"  Bring  up  my  revolver,  Fran9ois,  and  I  will  shoot 
him  before  he  has  a  chance  to  kill  another  man  !  " 
added  Louis,  even  more  vigorously  than  before. 
"  Hurry  up,  or  he  may  escape  me  !  " 

Felix  rattled  off  some  "  hog  Latin  "  he  had  learned 
at  school. 

"  We  will  put  a  weight  to  his  body,  and  drop  him 
overboard  at  the  stern,"  replied  Louis,  as  if  in  answer 
to  an  objection  made  by  '  Francois.'  "  The  revolver, 
quick!"   . 


104  UP  AND  DOWN   THE   NILE 

Felix  procured  the  weapon  from  his  stateroom,  and 
passed  it  up  to  his  companion.  The  visitor  had 
ceased  to  smile,  and  he  looked  worried  as  Louis 
glanced  at  him. 

^'  Que  voulez-vous  dire  ?  '^  demanded  the  stranger. 
"Je  Ti'ai  jamais  tiie  un  liomme!^^  (What  do  you 
mean  ?     I  never  killed  a  man.) 

"  Oh,  you  can  speak  French !  '^  exclaimed  Louis,  as 
before.  "The  captain  sent  me  to  ascertain  your 
business  with  him.'^ 

"  I  have  a  very  important  letter  for  Captain  Eing- 
gold,  which  I  can  deliver  only  to  him  in  person," 
replied  the  gentleman,  in  French  again,  whom  the 
representative  of  the  commander  now  had  an  oppor- 
tunity to  observe. 

Though  the  Mussulman  spoke  fluently,  there  was 
something  peculiar  about  the  pronunciation,  as  Avell  as 
the  idiom,  of  his  French,  which  struck  the  listener, 
and  it  was  not  unfamiliar  to  Louis. 

"I  have  not  the  pleasure  of  knowing  your  name, 
sir,"  added  the  owner  of  the  Guardian-Mother,  speak- 
ing now  in  English. 

"Ibrahim  Abdelkhalik  is  my  name,"  replied  the 
visitor,  changing  his  speech  to  English,  as  Louis  had 
done  ;  and  there  was  a  smile  on  his  handsome  face,  as 
though  he  was  happy  to  find  that  he  was  not  to  be 
murdered,  and  his  body  sunk  to  the  bottom  of  the 
harbor.  "  Will  you  do  me  the  honor  to  give  me  your 
name  ?  " 

"Certainly,  with  the  greatest  pleasure.     My  name 


AN   OEIENTAL  VISITOR   IX   THE  BOUDOIR      105 

is  Jean  Bagatelle,"  replied  Louis  promptly.     "  If  you 
will  give  yours  to  Captain  Einggold  *'  — 

"I  have  no  card  with  me,"  replied  Ibrahim,  after 
fumbling  about  his  Oriental  garments. 

"  Then  you  will  write  one,"  added  Louis,  handing 
him  one  of  his  own  cards,  on  which  the  visitor  wrote 
the  name  he  had  given  in  Arabic  or  Turkish. 

"  Will  you  please  to  write  it  in  English  ?  " 

"  I  can  speak  English,  but  I  cannot  write  it,"  replied 
Ibrahim. 

Louis  asked  the  name  again,  and  then  wrote  under 
the  pot-hooks  the  name,  ^-Ibrahim  Abdelkhalik," 
though  he  did  not  spell  it  in  just  this  manner.  Bow- 
ing politely  to  the  Oriental,  he  went  to  the  captain, 
reported  what  had  transpired,  and  gave  his  opinion. 
The  commander  then  went  to  the  boudoir,  and  fixed 
his  most  piercing  gaze  upon  Ibrahim ;  and  he  had  an 
eye  like  a  hawk  when  he  found  it  necessary  to  bring 
it  out. 

Both  of  them  were  polite,  the  visitor  being  even 
obsequious,  and  the  important  letter  was  handed  to 
the  captain.  He  opened  it,  and  found  it  was  in 
Arabic.  Doubtless  the  Mussulman  expected  to  have 
the  recipient  of  the  epistle  ask  him  to  translate  it  for 
him;  but  he  did  not.  The  gong  for  lunch  rang  just 
then. 

"I  am  very  busy  to-day,  and  you  must  excuse  me 
from  giving  immediate  attention  to  this  matter  ;  but 
I  will  read  the  letter  at  my  leisure,  and  give  you 
my  reply  by  letter,"  said  the  commander.      '•  I  Avish 


106  UP  AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 

you  a  very  good  morning ;"  and  lie  abruptly  left  the 
boudoir. 

As  he  went  out  on  the  main  deck,  he  directed  Mr. 
Boulong  to  show  the  visitor  to  his  boat ;  and  probably 
the  obsequious  Ibrahim  did  not  believe  he  had  made 
much  out  of  his  visit. 


THE  IvLLSSiON  OF  THE  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE     107 


CHAPTEE  XII 

THE    MISSION    OF    THE    AMATEUR    DETECTIVE 

The  company  gathered  immediately  at  the  table  ; 
but  Captain  Ringgold  could  not  speak  a  word  about 
Ibrahim  and  his  mission  to  Louis,  for  Mrs.  Belgrave 
and  the  Woolridges  were  within  hearing  distance  of 
them.  The  party  were  in  excellent  spirits,  and  were 
beset  by  none  of  the  weariness  of  travel  which  some- 
times overtakes  tourists,  for  the  scenes  about  them 
were  more  novel  and  strange  than  in  the  European 
surroundings  through  which  they  had  been  passing 
during  the  preceding  six  months. 

None  of  them  except  Louis  and  Felix  had  even  seen 
the  Oriental  visitor,  for  they  were  on  the  upper  deck 
when  he  came  on  board,  and  they  had  no  difficult 
questions  to  ask.  They  were  exceedingly  merry,  and 
talked  about  what  they  had  seen,  and  what  they  had 
found  in  the  guide-books  which  had  been  given  to  them. 
They  all  had  lively  anticipations  of  the  scenes  that 
were  before  them  in  Cairo,  at  the  Pyramids,  and  up 
the  Nile. 

The  captain  announced  that  the  Conference  would 
be  continued  on  the  upper  deck  at  two  o'clock.  Louis 
was  with  him  Vvdien  they  left  the  cabin,  and  on  their 


108  UP   AND  DOWN  THE   NILE 

way  Louis  discovered  that  Ibrahim's  boat  was  still 
alongside  the  Maud.  It  was  a  shore  craft,  and  he  was 
seated  in  the  stern  sheets,  evidently  troubled  because 
he  had  made  so  little  progress  in  his  mission,  what- 
ever it  was,  for  that  had  not  transpired,  except  in  the 
Arabic  characters  of  the  letter,  which  neither  the 
commander  nor  the  owner  could  read. 

"  This  affair  of  our  visitor  seems  to  have  been  all 
a  farce,"  said  Captain  Ringgold,  as  he  seated  himself 
at  his  desk  in  his  cabin,  and  took  the  Arabic  letter 
from  his  pocket.  '^  The  fellow  has  not  gone  yet,  and 
he  evidently  intends  to  accomplish  something  more. 
But  he  will  get  tired  of  waiting  for  me." 

"  Of  course  Ibrahim  is  a  humbug ;  and  I  think  we 
fooled  him  very  nicely,"  replied  Louis,  laughing. 

"  It  was  a  tragic  scene  that  you  acted ;  but  it  was 
of  your  own  invention,  and  I  am  not  responsible  for 
it,  though  I  have  no  fault  to  find  with  it.  Where  is 
Telix  ?  "  demanded  the  commander,  suddenly  spring- 
ing from  his  chair  as  though  a  new  idea  had  struck 
him  very  forcibly. 

"  He  is  on  deck,  I  suppose." 

The  commander  struck  the  electric  bell,  and,  when 
Sordy  appeared,  he  directed  him  to  send  Felix  to  him. 
In  a  few  minutes  he  entered  the  room. 

"  Mr.  McGavonty,"  the  captain  began. 

"  Is  it  me  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Felix. 

"  I  mean  you." 

"  You  don't  mister  me.  Captain,  as  a  rule." 

"  Leave  the  joke  till  another  time,  Flix." 


THE  IVUSSION  OF  THE  AMATEUK  DETECTIVE     109 

"  Now  I  know  whom  you  mean,"  lauglied  the 
Milesian. 

"  You  have  a  taste  for  the  calling  of  a  detective, 
and  you  have  shown  some  little  skill  at  the  business,'^ 
continued  the  commander. 

"  Thank  you.  Captain ;  but  Louis  can  do  it  quite 
as  well  as  I  can." 

"  Now  be  silent  if  you  can  for  two  minutes,  and  I 
will  tell  you  what  I  want.  You  are  the  only  detective 
we  have,  and  I  wish  you  to  follow  the  fellow  you  saw 
in  the  boudoir  ;  '  shadow  '  him,  I  believe  you  call  it  in 
your  profession.  You  will  take  John  Donald,  dressed 
in  his  orientals,  with  you ;  for  he  is  the  only  man  we 
have  that  can  speak  Arabic,  and  you  will  need  him. 
I  am  sorry  to  send  you  away  just  as  the  Conference 
begins  again." 

Felix  shrugged  his  shoulders  with  a  meaning  smile 
on  his  face,  which  was  as  much  as  to  say  that  he 
could  get  along  without  the  lecture  the  professor  was 
about  to  give,  for  he  was  not  a  very  earnest  student ; 
but  he  was  silent. 

"  That  is  all  the  instruction  I  have  to  give  you. 
Shadow  him  wherever  he  goes,"  added  the  captain. 

"  Excuse  me  for  speaking ;  but  suppose  he  should 
take  a  train  ?  "  asked  Felix. 

"  That  depends ;  you  needn't  follow  him  to  Cairo  ; 
but  if  you  find  that  he  is  going  to  any  other  place, 
Rosetta  for  instance,  go  with  him.  One  thing  more : 
I  want  you  to  buy  a  new  suit  of  orientals  for  John 
Donald,  if  you  have  time  to  do  so.     Here  are  two 


110  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

hundred  francs  in  French  gold ;  and  this  money 
passes  in  the  cities  of  Egypt ;  "  and  the  captain  took 
the  coins  from  his  purse  and  handed  them  to  him. 

"  What  is  the  fellow's  name  ?  "  asked  Felix  as  he 
transferred  the  gold  to  his  own  purse.  "  I  heard  Mr. 
Bumblegrubbins  give  his  name  to  Louis  ;  but  I  could 
not  make  it  out  any  more  than  I  could  the  lingo  of  a 
cock-turkey  when  he  gobbles." 

"  Here  is  his  card  ;  but  you  must  walk  by  sight 
rather  than  by  faith  in  names.  Don't  lose  it,  for  I 
may  want  it." 

Felix  took  the  card,  tipped  his  head  from  one  side 
to  the  other,  and  squinted  at  the  characters  on  it. 

"  You  are  holding  it  upside  down ! "  exclaimed 
Louis. 

"  What  difference  does  that  make  ?  Sure  a  cuttle- 
fish wiggled  across  this  card,  and  shed  his  sepia  on  it 
as  he  hitched  along.  Oh,  this  is  it  in  English," 
added  Felix,  as  he  turned  the  card  right  side  up.  "  I 
will  keep  it  safely,  and  spell  it  out  when  I  have  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  to  spare." 

"  I  will  set  Mr.  Boulong  to  watch  Ibrahim's  boat, 
and  he  will  notify  you  when  it  leaves  the  Maud.  Let 
John  engage  a  shore  boat  when  he  is  rigged,  and 
stand  by  it.  That's  all ;  now  go  and  find  Donald,  and 
let  him  get  ready." 

The  captain  and  Louis  talked  a  while  longer,  and 
both  of  them  had  decided  opinions  in  regard  to  the 
identity  of  Ibrahim.  What  his  method  of  proceed- 
ing was  to  be  might  be  indicated  in  the  Arabic  letter, 


THE  MISSION  or  THE  AMATEUU  DETECTIVE     111 

which  was  a  sealed  book  to  them  for  the  present, 
though  Don  could  translate  it  when  he  could  be  spared 
from  his  present  mission.  In  regard  to  the  engineer, 
the  commander  had  some  new  views  and  intentions, 
and  for  this  reason  he  wished  him  to  be  clothed  in 
more  becoming  '•'  orientals,''  as  he  called  the  Turkish 
garb,  than  those  he  had  worn  when  he  came  on  board 
of  the  ship  at  Gibraltar.  As  the  time  for  opening 
the  Conference  approached,  both  of  them  went  to  the 
starboard  rail,  and  found  that  Don  was  already  in  pos- 
session of  a  boat.  Mr.  Boulong  was  instructed  as  ar- 
ranged, and  presently  Felix  appeared  on  the  promenade 
deck. 

"  You  needn't  lose  the  whole  of  the  history  of 
Egypt,  Felix,"  said  the  commander,  in  a  sort  of  a 
condoling  tone. 

"  I  think  I  shall  be  able  to  get  along  without  the 
whole  of  it,  for  I  read  a  little  of  it  (it  was  a  very 
little),  in  Louis's  book ;  and  if  I  am  going  to  make 
any  money  by  it,  I  will  read  what  the  professor  don't 
tell  me,"  chuckled  Felix. 

"  I  shall  have  to  yoke  you  and  asIt.  Woolridge  to- 
gether, for  he  does  not  take  much  interest  in  the  Con- 
ference and  the  events  of  the  past,"  replied  the 
captain  with  a  smile. 

"  All  right ;  I  shall  be  in  good  company  then,"  added 
Felix,  as  the  commander  took  his  place  in  the  circle  of 
ladies  and  gentlemen  who  were  already  in  their  arm- 
chairs. 

The   amateur  detective   took  his  chair  to  a  place 


112  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

where  he  could  easily  make  his  escape  when  the  first 
officer  summoned  him,  and  where  he  could  creep 
down  to  the  main  deck  without  being  noticed. 

"  I  have  the  pleasure  of  announcing  that  our  learned 
fellow-voyager  was  assigned  to  the  department  of  his- 
tory, and  I  have  the  honor  to  present  to  you  Professor 
Giroud/'  said  the  captain. 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen/'  the  professor  began  when 
the  applause  subsided,  "  I  am  not  exactly  called  upon 
to  make  bricks  without  straw,  but  I  am  required  to 
put  a  gallon  of  fluid  into  a  pint  pot,  for  it  would  take 
a  week  to  tell  all  that  might  be  said  about  the  history 
of  Egypt,  for  no  record  of  past  events  can  be  traced 
so  far  back  as  that  of  the  country  we  are  now  visit- 
ing. The  records  of  the  ancient  Egyptians  have  been 
cut  out  in  stone,  baked  in  clay,  and  written  in  strange 
hieroglyphics  on  skins  of  animals  or  scrolls  of  papy- 
rus ;  and  the  marvellous  dryness  of  the  air  in  this 
almost  rainless  valley  of  the  Nile  has  preserved  them 
to  be  read  or  deciphered  by  the  savants  of  modern 
times." 

"  What's  papyrus.  Professor  ?  "  interposed  Mrs. 
Blossom. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  madam,  but  I  shall  never  get 
through  if  I  stop  to  answer  questions  on  the  way,  for 
they  throw  me  off  the  track,  and  take  more  time  in 
that  way  than  would  be  required  simply  to  answer 
them.  Papyrus  is  an  Egyptian  plant  that  grows  to 
the  height  of  about  ten  feet,  from  the  pith  of  which  a 
kind  of  paper  was  made,  upon  which  man}^  of  these 


THE  MISSION  OF  THE  AMATEUil  DETECTIVE     113 

ancient  records  come  down  to  us.  Now,  if  you  will 
make  a  note  of  any  questions  you  wish  to  ask,  I  shall 
take  the  greatest  pleasure  in  answering  them  when  I 
have  finished  my  remarks,"  said  the  professor  with 
all  his  abundant  suavity. 

"  In  the  reign  of  one  of  the  Ptolemys  a  learned  man 
was  employed  to  collect  and  collate  all  the  histori- 
cal works  of  various  kinds  preserved  in  the  temples 
as  the  records  of  the  country.  This  man  was  a  priest, 
and  his  researches  were  made  nearly  three  hundred 
years  before  the  time  of  Christ.  This  history,  as 
compiled  by  the  priest,  was  in  great  repute  after  its 
completion ;  but  it  was  afterwards  lost,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  his  chronology  of  the  kings,  which  has  been 
handed  down  to  us  in  the  work  of  Josephus,  which  I 
have  seen  in  popular  form  in  the  houses  of  many 
American  people.  The  priest  gave  the  names  of  the 
kings  by  dynasties,  with  the  date  of  the  reign  of  each. 

"This  list  is  still  the  basis  of  our  knowledge  of 
ancient  Egyptian  history.  Modern  discoveries  and 
researches  have  elaborated  this  catalogue,  confirming 
and  supplementing  the  data  thus  transmitted  to  us. 
In  the  Scriptures  you  read  of  Pharaoh  as  though  he 
were  a  particular  king  of  Egypt;  but  it  was  really 
the  official  title  of  the  ruler,  though  some  difficulty 
has  been  experienced  in  determining  whether  the 
name  applied  to  a  single  king  or  a  dynasty  of  them. 

"  Learned  men  in  modern  days  have  diligently 
studied  these  old  records.  Mariette  was  a  French- 
man, Wilkinson  an  Englishman,  and  Lepsius  a  Ger- 


114  tJP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

man,  who  have  been  distinguished  Egyptologists ;  and 
each  of  tliem  has  given  a  chronology  to  the  world, 
though  they  differ  very  widely.  Menes  was  the  first 
king,  and  is  believed  to  have  founded  Memphis,  the 
site  of  which  you  will  see  when  you  go  up  the  river. 
The  date  of  this  monarch  is  given  by  the  three 
authorities  I  have  named  respectively  as  5004  (before 
Christ,  of  course,  in  every  instance),  3892,  and  2700. 
After  you  have  studied  the  subject,  each  of  you  can 
decide  for  himself  which  he  will  accept  as  the  most 
correct. 

"  As  I  have  said  before,  the  reigns  of  kings  were 
given  by  dynasties  ;  and  there  are  thirty  of  them 
down  to  the  time  of  the  first  Ptolemy,  324  B.C.  It 
would  be  absurd  for  me  to  repeat  the  names  of  these, 
with  their  dates,  and  I  shall  not  do  it ;  and  if  any  of 
you  wish  to  read  them  you  will  find  them  in  Baede- 
ker's '  Lower  Egypt/  a  most  excellent  work,  of  which 
the  commander  has  been  kind  enough  to  provide 
several  copies  for  your  use.  But  I  will  mention  a 
few  salient  points  taken  from  the  list.  Khufu  and 
Khafrfi,  called  by  the  Greeks  Cheops  and  Cephrenes 
respectively,  were  the  builders  of  the  three  great 
Pyramids  of  Gizeh." 

At  this  point  it  was  observed  that  those  who  held 
the  book  mentioned  in  their  hands,  and  were  follow- 
ing the  discourse  on  its  pages,  made  notes,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  speaker's  request. 

"  We  may  safely  set  down  the  date  of  these  Pyra- 
mids  as   at  least   3000  years   before   Christ,   which 


THE  MISSION  OF  THE  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE     115 

makes  them  nearly  5,000  years  old.  The  ruler  that 
followed  the  builders  of  the  Pyramids  is  sent  down 
to  posterity  as  a  wicked  despiser  of  the  gods,  while 
Khufu  and  Khafra  are  glorified  on  the  monuments  as 
worshippers  of  the  gods,  as  industrious  and  persever- 
ing, and  consequently  prosperous  and  wealthy.  The 
arts  reached  their  highest  ancient  perfection  in  these 
reigns. 

"  Eamses  II.,  or  Sesostris,  whose  kingly  ancestors 
had  made  some  conquests  of  countries,  carried  his 
arms  to  the  south  into  Dongola,  and  in  the  direction 
of  Asia  Minor.  He  was  noted  as  a  builder  of  temples 
and  monuments,  and  a  patron  of  the  arts  and  sciences. 
This  monarch  was  the  Pharaoh  who  persecuted  the 
children  of  Israel.  Merenptah  followed  Eamses  II., 
and  is  believed  to  be  the  Pharaoh  of  Exodus,  as 
classified  in  Smith's  ^  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,'  which 
may  be  consulted  in  the  library.  [Mrs.  Blossom 
made  a  note  of  it].  This  king  was  defeated  by  the 
Israelites,  which  resulted  in  his  overthrow,  and 
brought  his  dynasty  to  an  end." 

At  this  point  in  the  dynasties,  the  commander  saw 
Mr.  Boulong  saunter  up  carelessly  behind  Felix,  and 
put  his  hand  on  his  shoulder  while  he  took  the  trouble 
to  gaze  up  at  the  rigging  of  the  main  topmast.  The 
detective  did  not  need  to  have  a  call  sounded  in  his 
ears,  and  doubling  himself  up,  he  stole  down  the  steps 
to  the  main  deck,  and  no  one  appeared  to  notice 
him. 


116  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 


CHAPTER   XIII 

ABOUT    THE    DYNASTIES    OF    EGYPT 

The  departure   of  Felix  did  not  disturb  the  pro-  i 
fessor  as  a  volley  of  questions  did,  and  lie  proceeded 
without  any  pause  in  his  remarks. 

"The  overthrow  of  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus 
brought  a  new  empire  into  existence,  a  very  common 
event  in  the  history  of  this  ancient  domain.  Eamses 
III.  was  the  king.  Though  he  was  successful  in 
some  of  his  military  enterprises,  he  was  unable  to 
maintain  the  prowess  of  some  of  his  ancestors.  He 
appears  to  have  been  more  devoted  to  the  arts  of 
peace,  for  the  buildings  he  erected  are  the  most  mag- 
nificent of  his  age.  His  monument  near  Thebes  is 
one  of  the  finest  now  in  existence.  The  rock-tombs 
of  that  city  and  the  mausoleums  of  the  kings  were 
begun  by  his  successors. 

"  The  authorities  I  mention  in  speaking  of  Menes, 
the  first  king,  differ  by  about  2,300  years  in  their 
dates ;  but  in  the  reign  of  Ramses  III.  the  variation 
is  reduced  to  88  years.  Thebes  is  below  the  First 
Cataract,  and  perhaps  we  shall  visit  the  site  of  it 
[the  commander  nodded  assent].  When  we  are  there 
we  shall  have  the  opportunity  to  fill  up  some  of  the 


ABOUT   THE  DYNASTIES   OF  EGYPT  117 

blanks  I  have  left  in  my  notices  of  the  kings,  and 
the  same  will  occur  in  many  other  places. 

"After  Eamses  III.  the  priest-kings  became  the 
rulers  of  Egypt ;  but  they  were  too  weak  to  maintain 
their  authority,  and  temporized  with  the  chiefs  of 
their  domain.  In  the  Twenty-third  Dynasty  came 
Sheshenk  I.  He  was  the  Shishak  mentioned  in  the 
Bible.  He  joined  the  forces  of  Jeroboam  against 
Rehoboam,  and  besieged  and  captured  Jerusalem. 
You  will  find  the  account  of  it  in  2  Chronicles, 
chapter  xii.  [Mrs.  Blossom  made  a  note  of  it].  Then 
the  successors  of  Sheshenk  were  defeated  in  Syria, 
and  the  Ethiopians  invaded  the  country,  conquered 
and  obtained  possession  of  Egypt.  One  of  these  kings 
sent  an  army  to  aid  Hezekiah,  but  was  defeated  by 
the  Assyrians,  who  held  the  country  for  a  time,  and 
divided  it  among  twenty  princes,  who  made  themselves 
independent ;  but  they  were  all  driven  out  by  Sarda- 
napalus,  the  Assyrian  monarch. 

"  His  successors  were  not  able  enough  to  keep  his 
conquests,  and  the  beginning  of  the  Twenty-sixth 
Dynasty  was  Psammetikh,  the  heir  in  the  Ethiopian 
line.  The  second  of  that  name  went  to  the  relief  of 
Zedekiah,  king  of  Judah,  who  was  besieged  in  Jeru- 
salem by  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  greatest  and  most 
powerful  of  the  kings  of  Babylon,  who  afterwards 
captured  this  city. 

"Not  long  afterwards  the  king  of  EgjqDt  was  de- 
throned, and  Ashmes  11.  took  his  place.  The  country 
was  at  peace  then,  and  in  a  prosperous  condition ;  but. 


118  UP   AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

as  we  find  it  in  more  modern  times,  the  sovereigns  of 
the  nations  were  greedy  for  power,  and  were  con- 
stantly at  war  with  each  other.  Cyrus  the  Great  had 
built  up  the  Persian  Empire,  and  became  the  most 
powerful  ruler  in  the  East.  Cambyses,  his  son, 
marched  into  Egypt  to  make  a  conquest  of  it,  for  it 
was  the  only  power  that  remained  as  a  rival  of  Persia. 
He  defeated  Psammetikh  III.,  captured  Memphis, 
made  a  prisoner  of  the  king,  who  was  executed  after- 
wards for  getting  up  an  insurrection.  This  event  in- 
troduced the  Twenty-seventh  Dynasty,  the  Persian. 

"  Cambyses  ruled  with  moderation  at  first,  and  al- 
lowed the  Egyptians  to  retain  their  own  religion ;  but 
after  he  had  failed  in  some  rash  attempts  at  conquest, 
he  became  ugly  and  vindictive.  Darius  I.  succeeded 
to  the  throne  of  Persia.  He  was  a  wise  prince,  and 
did  much  to  promote  the  prosperity  of  Egypt.  He 
built  canals  and  roads,  established  commercial  routes, 
and  coined  money,  stamped  rings  and  weights  having 
been  in  use  before.  He  made  two  attempts  to  conquer 
Greece  and  failed  in  both.  He  was  followed  by  Xer- 
xes I.,  who  made  another  tremendous  effort  to  subdue 
Greece,  as  we  learned  when  we  were  in  that  country. 
He  appointed  his  brother  viceroy,  or  satrap,  of  Egypt. 

Artaxerxes  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  Persia,  and 
was  a  brave  prince;  but  intestine  troubles  which 
finally  led  to  the  reduction  of  the  realm  had  appeared, 
and  he  was  unable  to  stay  its  decadence.  This  reign 
began  in  465  b.c,  and  during  its  existence  a  series  of 
revolts  originated,  with  varying  fortunes  to  the  Egyp- 


ABOUT    THE   DYNASTIES    OF    EGYPT  119 

tians.  At  one  time  the  native  kings  mounted  the 
throne  again  ;  but  they  lost  a,nd  regained  the  kingdom 
by  turns,  till  it  was  finally  surrendered  to  Artaxerxes 
III.,  king  of  Persia,  who  ruled  it  through  his  satrap. 

"  Darius  III.  was  the  next  king  of  Persia.  He  was 
defeated  by  Alexander  the  Great ;  and  the  latter 
marched  to  Pelusium,  an  ancient  city  on  the  Isthmus 
of  Suez,  where  the  Egyptians  received  him  with  accla- 
mations of  joy  as  their  deliverer  from  the  oppression 
of  tiie  Persians.  This  reign  v>^as  from  332  to  323 
B.C.  Alexander  permitted  the  Egyptian  religion,  and 
founded  Alexandria,  which  afterwards  became  the 
centre  of  Greek  letters,  and  of  the  commerce  of  the 
world.  Then  Egypt  passed  under  Greek  rule,  and 
in  323  Ptolemy  I.  became  king.  He  had  to  fight  his 
way  to  the  throne,  causing  the  death  of  Alexander's 
son,  who  had  assumed  his  title  as  the  second  of  that 
name.  On  account  of  the  institutions  founded  there, 
Alexandria  became  the  chief  seat  of  Greek  literature, 
casting  Athens  into  the  shade. 

^^  Two  years  before  his  death  this  king  abdicated  in 
favor  of  his  son,  Ptolemy  II.,  called  Philadelphus. 
In  the  reign  of  Ptolemy  III.  Egypt  reached  the  zenith 
of  its  power  and  glory.  The  army  of  Egypt  about 
this  time  was  said  to  consist  of  200.000  foot  soldiers, 
20,000  horse,  2,000  chariots,  400  elephants,  and  the 
navy  of  1,500  ships  of  war,  v/ith  1.000  transports. 
Perhaps  all  this  is  true,  and  perhaps  it  is  not,  and  we 
can't  count  up  the  material  at  this  time ;  but  probably 
most  of  the  navy,  called  ships,  Vv^ere  mere  boats. 


120  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"  Under  Ptolemy  lY.  and  his  successors  Egypt  de- 
clined in  power  and  prosperity.  His  successor  came 
to  the  throne  as  a  child  five  years  old.  In  consequence 
of  a  revolt  in  Alexandria,  and  an  attack  of  the  king 
of  Syria,  his  guardians  were  compelled  to  appeal  to 
the  Eoman  Senate  for  protection,  and  the  result  was 
that  the  country  became  practically  a  Eoman  province. 

"The  Ptolemys  remained  on  the  throne  under  the 
protection  and  influence  of  Rome.  The  thirteenth  of 
them,  called  the  flute-player,  appointed  his  eldest  chil- 
dren to  succeed  to  the  crown.  They  were  Cleopatra 
VII.  and  Ptolemy  XIV.,  and  they  were  to  marry, 
though  brother  and  sister,  in  accordance  with  Egyp- 
tian custom,  and  Pompey,  the  Eoman  general,  was 
appointed  their  guardian  by  the  Senate.  But  the 
husband  banished  his  sister-wife,  though  some  say  it 
was  done  by  their  immediate  guardians. 

"  Just  at  this  time,  in  48  b.c,  Pompey,  the  Eoman 
guardian,  was  defeated  in  the  decisive  battle  of  Phar- 
salia  by  Julius  Caesar,  and  he  fled  to  the  dominions  of 
his  wards  ;  but  he  was  assassinated  by  the  order  of 
Ptolemy.  Caesar  went  to  Egpyt  in  search  of  Pompey. 
He  met  Cleopatra,  and  was  fascinated  by  her  beauty. 
He  earnestly  espoused  her  cause,  and  defeated  her 
recreant  brother,  placing  her  on  the  throne  with  a 
colleague  in  the  person  of  a  still  younger  brother. 

"  The  next  brother  in  the  line  was  drowned  in  the 
Nile,  and  Ptolemy  XV.,  at  the  age  of  eleven,  was 
placed  at  the  side  of  Cleopatra  with  nominal  power. 
The  beautiful  but  wicked  queen  soon  poisoned  him, 


ABOUT   THE   DYNASTIES   OF   EGYPT  121 

and  Csesarion,  her  son,  of  whom  the  Koman  dictator 
was  the  father,  was  appointed  the  co-regent  with  her. 
After  the  murder  of  Caesar  in  the  conspiracy  of  Brutus 
and  Cassius,  Marc  Antony,  who,  you  all  remember, 
was  the  friend  of  the  dead  Caesar,  sought  to  avenge 
his  death,  summoned  Cleopatra  to  appear  before  him 
and  explain  her  leadings  in  the  civil  war  that  followed 
the  assassination. 

"  The  '  Serpent  of  the  Nile,'  as  she  has  been  called, 
was  in  doubt  at  first  whether  or  not  to  obey,  but  de- 
cided to  do  so.  She  sailed  up  the  river  Cydnus  to 
Tarsus,  in  Cilicia,  a  province  of  Asia  Minor,  to  meet 
him  in  a  magnificent  galley,  dressed  like  Venus  rising 
from  the  sea,  and  surrounded  by  all  the  splendors  of 

the  Orient." 

''  I  have  seen  the  picture  of  that ! "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Blossom,  unable  longer  to  restrain  herself. 

"The  picture  has  been  circulated  all  over  the  world. 
She  was  twenty-eight  years  old,  and  in  the  zenith  of 
her  beauty,  which  she  had  derived  from  the  Greeks. 
Antony  was  fascinated  by  her  wit  and  loveliness. 
Without  following  out  the  romantic  story  in  detail, 
the  Roman  general  threw  himself  away  for  her,  sacri- 
ficing his  ambition  and  everything  else.  He  lost  his 
standing  in  Eome,  and  was  declared  an  enemy  of  his 
country.  Octavianus  was  sent  to  reduce  him  to 
subjection. 

"  Antony  and  Cleopatra  were  defeated  in  the  naval 
battle  of  Actium ;  and  Cleopatra  fled  vrith  sixty  ships, 
and  made  private  terms  with  the  victor.     Indignant 


122  UP   AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

at  her  treachery,  and  informed  that  she  had  already 
killed  herself,  he  fell  upon  his  own  sword,  which  was 
one  of  the  ways  of  that  age  to  commit  suicide.  Mor- 
tally wounded,  he  Avas  told  that  the  news  conveyed  to 
him  was  false ;  he  caused  himself  to  be  carried  into 
her  presence,  and  died  in  her  embrace.  Octavianus 
made  her  a  prisoner  by  stratagem  ;  but  she  could  not 
melt  his  stern  nature  as  she  had  others,  and  killed 
herself,  by  causing  her  chest  to  be  bitten  by  an  asp. 
I  have  finished  the  romance. 

"The  last  event  was  in  the  year  30  B.C.  For  the 
next  three  centuries  the  E,oman  rule  continued, 
though  the  country  was  invaded  by  Queen  Zenobia 
of  Palmyra,  and  she  was  acknowledged  as  the  queen 
of  Egypt  ;  but  in  a  couple  of  years  she  was  de- 
throned, and  some  doubt  that  she  ever  reigned  over 
the  land  of  the  Nile.  It  was  considered  the  most 
valuable  of  the  provinces  of  Eome,  for  it  was  the 
granary  from  which  the  people  of  that  empire  were 
fed.  During  this  period  of  three  hundred  years,  the 
record  was  filled  up  with  fruitless  insurrections  and 
savage  persecutions  of  the  Christians,  whose  religion 
had  been  introduced  there,  and  had  made  rapid 
progress. 

"  In  the  year  306  (all  the  dates  are  now  a.d.),  Con- 
stantine  the  Great  became  the  Eoman  emperor ;  and 
after  warring  for  some  years  with  those  who  shared 
the  throne  with  him,  he  overthrew  Licinius,  the  last 
of  them,  in  323,  and  became  sole  emperor  of  the  West, 
and  of  the  East  also.     He  selected  Byzantium,  or  Con- 


ABvOUT    THE    DYNASTIES    OF    EGYPT  123 

staiitinoj)le,  as  his  capital,  and  established  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  which  put  an  end  to  the  persecutions  of 
its  followers. 

'•  For  three  centuries  Egypt  was  a  part  of  the 
Byzantine  Empire.  In  619  the  Persians  again  in- 
vaded the  country,  Alexandria  was  taken  by  them, 
and  they  ruled  about  ten  years ;  but  they  were  driven 
out  by  Heraclius.  Mohammed  had  no  children,  and 
his  father-in-law,  Abubekr,  was  made  his  successor. 
The  third  caliph  was  Othman,  and  his  general,  Khalid, 
called  ^  The  Sword  of  God,'  marched  his  armies  into 
Persia,  routed  its  armies  in  several  battles,  defeated  a 
Eoman  army,  and  took  possession  of  Jerusalem.  At 
his  death  he  was  succeeded  by  Omar,  another  father- 
in-law  of  the  Prophet ;  and  he  continued  the  war 
against  all  the  enemies  of  his  faith,  and  conquered 
Egypt  in  638.  For  two  centuries  the  country  re- 
mained subject  to  the  Arabian  Caliphate,  and  then 
was  ruled  by  one  and  another  who  had  the  power  to 
capture  the  throne,  till  1240. 

"  Saladin,  or  Salaheddin,  who  made  himself  Sultan 
of  Egypt  in  1169,  created  a  body-guard  called  the 
Mamelukes.  The  word  means  slaves,  and  the  men 
had  been  bought  and  trained  as  soldiers  for  the  basis 
of  an  army  to  insure  the  security  of  the  Sultan. 
These  Mamelukes  were  all  foreigners,  brought  from 
the  dominions  of  the  Turks  around  the  Caspian 
and  Black  Seas,  and  they  proved  to  be  persons  of 
talent. 

*'  While  the  sons  of  the  late  Sultan  were  fiG^htinsr 


124  UP    AND   DOWN    THE    NILE 

for  the  throne,  the  Mamelukes  stepped  in  and  put  one 
of  their  own  number  upon  it,  Melek  es-Saleh.  He  had 
ability,  and  was  disposed  to  play  the  ruler  in  earnest. 
He  carried  his  enterprise  out  of  his  dominion,  and  cap- 
tured Damascus,  Jerusalem,  and  other  cities. 

"  You  remember  the  Sainte  Chapelle,  in  Paris, 
which  was  the  church  of  Louis  IX.,  called  Saint  Louis. 
He  was  engaged  in  the  Crusades,  and  to  prevent  the 
Egyptians  from  making  further  encroachments  in  the 
Holy  Land,  he  undertook  a  campaign  against  them. 
He  took  Damietta,  and  then  marched  towards  Cairo ; 
but  he  was  captured  with  his  army,  and  was  released 
only  on  the  payment  of  a  large  ransom.  But  the 
French  did  better  in  Egypt  after  that ;  "  and  the  pro- 
fessor smiled. 

"  The  Mamelukes  made  Melik  Sultan,  because  they 
believed  they  could  easily  control  him ;  but  they 
found  they  had  caught  a  Tartar,  for  when  his  author- 
ity was  established,  he  dismissed  the  Mamelukes  from 
his  service.  He  recruited  a  new  guard  from  the 
Turks,  and  maintained  his  authority.  But  the  origi- 
nal band  had  been  largely  increased  by  more  men 
from  Circassia ;  and  they  succeeded  in  1382  in  upset- 
ting the  Turkish  Mamelukes,  and  putting  one  of  their 
number  on  the  throne  again. 

"  Bebars,  one  of  them,  was  a  slave,  and  had  risen 
by  his  own  ability  to  be  the  leader  of  the  Mamelukes, 
and  then  the  Sultan.  He  ruled  with  justice  and 
moderation.  He  demolished  what  remained  of  the 
Kingdom  of  Jerusalem.     He  brought  the  last  of  the 


ABOUT  THE  DYNASTIES   OF   EGYPT  125 

Caliphs  to  Cairo,  acknowledged  his  authority,  being 
a  good  Mussulman,  and  placed  him  on  the  throne  as 
the  nominal  ruler.  Now,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  will 
you  give  me  a  rest  long  enough  to  drink  a  glass  of 
water  ?  '^     And  the  commander  sent  for  it. 


126  UP  AKD   DOWN   THE  KILE 


CHAPTER   Xiy 

SOME    OF    THE    MODERN    HISTORY    OF    EGYPT 

"  After  centuries  of  anarchy  and  confusion,  as  I 
have  rehearsed  the  history  to  you/'  continued  the 
professor,  "the  last  Mameluke  was  dethroned  by 
Selim  I.,  Sultan  of  the  Ottoman  Empire,  in  1517,  and 
Egypt  has  ever  since  been  a  Pachalic  of  the  Turks. 
The  authority  of  the  Osman  rulers  had  even  then 
begun  to  decline,  and  with  it  the  powers  of  the  gov- 
ernors of  their  dependencies.  Several  of  the  Mame- 
luke rulers  of  Egypt  were  men  of  decided  ability,  and 
had  broader  views  than  many  that  preceded  and  fol- 
lowed them.  The  arts  were  cultivated  to  some  extent, 
as  may  be  seen  by  the  mosques  and  tombs  of  these 
Sultans  at  Cairo,  which  rank  among  the  finest  speci- 
mens of  Saracenic  architecture. 

"  For  a  couple  of  hundred  years  Egypt  was  ruled 
by  the  Pachas  appointed  by  the  Sultans  of  the  Osman 
family ;  but  the  Mamelukes  were  still  in  existence, 
forming  the  military  power  of  the  Pachalic,  and 
twenty-four  of  them  were  Beys,  who  governed  as 
many  different  divisions  of  the  country.  They  merely 
paid  tribute  to  the  Pacha,  and  their  consent  was 
necessary  to  enable  him  to  adopt  any  new  measure. 


SOME  OF  THE  MODERN  HISTOHY  OF  EGYPT      127 

They  gradually  regained  a  portion  of  their  former 
power,  and  in  1771  they  were  bold  enough  to  throw 
off  the  yoke  of  the  Turks,  and  declared  the  indepen- 
dence of  Egypt,  as  the  colonists  of  America  did  four 
years  later ;  but  the  result  was  quite  different. 

"  The  leader  of  the  Mamelukes  Avas  Ali  Bey,  and 
he  became  Sultan.  He  had  formerly  been  a  slave ; 
and  taking  advantage  of  the  fact  that  the  Turks  were 
involved  in  a  war  with  Eussia,  he  established  him- 
self as  the  ruler.  He  conquered  Syria  and  Arabia; 
but  when  he  returned  to  his  Sultanate,  he  was  cast 
into  prison  by  his  own  son-in-law,  where  he  soon  died, 
and  was  probably  poisoned. 

"  After  his  death  disorder  and  confusion  reigned ; 
a  couple  of  the  Mameluke  Beys  obtained  the  suprem- 
acy, and  the  Turkish  authority  was  established  again. 
The  Beys  were  broken  up  into  factions ;  but  the  inva- 
sion of  Napoleon  in  1798,  made  with  the  hope  of 
destroying  the  English  trade  in  the  Mediterranean, 
united  them  for  the  defence  of  the  country. 

"  The  French  captured  Alexandria  and  Cairo,  and 
eventually  the  whole  of  Egypt.  The  Mameluke  cav- 
alry, which  had  become  famous,  made  a  gallant  resis- 
tance ;  but  the  skill  and  science  of  modern  warfare 
were  too  much  for  them.  In  the  battle  of  the  Pyra- 
mids the  Mamelukes  were  nearly  destroyed.  In  1801 
the  English  took  a  hand  in  the  business.  The  Turks 
had  also  declared  war  against  England.  In  the  Bay 
of  Aboukir,  about  a  dozen  miles  north-east  of  us,  the 
British  fleet  under  Lord  Nelson  very  nearly  annihi- 


128  UP   AKD   DOWN   THE   NILE 

lated  the  French  squadron,  only  two  ships  of  which 
escaped.  In  1801  the  French  army  surrendered  to 
the  English.  But  the  French  have  since  had  a  great 
deal  of  influence  in  Egypt. 

"Through  the  interposition  of  the  French  govern- 
ment, who  desired  to  counteract  the  influence  of  the 
English  and  the  Mamelukes  in  Egypt,  Mohammed  Ali 
was  called  upon  for  this  purpose.  He  was  born  in 
Eoumelia,  and  was  at  this  time  in  command  as  colonel 
of  a  regiment  of  one  thousand  Albanians  in  Egypt. 
Having  produced  a  better  condition  of  affairs  by  1805, 
he  was  appointed  Pacha,  which  is  the  same  thing  as 
Viceroy.  He  prevented  the  English  from  taking  pos- 
session of  the  country  in  1807.  The  Mamelukes  stood 
in  the  path  of  progress,  and  Mohammed  Ali  dealt 
summarily  with  them,  for  he  proved  himself  to  be  a 
very  progressive  ruler.  In  1814  he  treacherously 
caused  the  Beys  and  their  followers,  470  in  number, 
to  be  massacred. 

"  The  resolute  but  merciless  Pacha  improved  the 
agriculture  of  Egypt,  introducing  the  cotton  plant, 
restored  the  canals  and  embankments,  appointed 
Frenchmen  and  other  Europeans  to  various  public 
offices,  and  sent  young  Egyptians  to  Paris  to  be  edu- 
cated. While  the  Greeks  were  struggling  for  their 
independence,  he  sent  20,000  soldiers  to  the  assistance 
of  the  Turkish  Sultan,  and  was  rewarded  by  the  gift 
of  the  island  of  Candia  after  the  war. 

"  But  the  idea  of  entire  independence  took  posses- 
sion of  his  mind  in  1831,  and  he  made  war  on  the 


SOIUE  Oi"  THE  MODEilN  HISTOKY  OF    EGYPT       IzU 

Porte,  as  the  Ottoman  government  is  sometimes  called. 
His  adopted  son  Ibrahim  invaded  Syria,  conquered  it 
and  a  considerable  portion  of  Asia  Minor,  while  his 
admiral  Haleb  destroyed  the  Turkish  fleet,  and  then 
menaced  Constantinople.  Doubtless  he  would  have 
succeeded  in  his  purpose,  if  the  war  had  not  been  ter- 
minated by  the  intervention  of  France  and  Eussia,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  subjugation  of  the  Ottoman 
Empire. 

"In  1839  England  induced  the  enemies  of  Egypt 
to  attack  Mohammed  Ali ;  but  the  '  Powers  '  arranged 
the  difficulty,  and  the  Pacha  was  compelled  to  yield  a 
second  time  to  the  Sultan ;  but  the  hereditary  sover- 
eignty of  Egypt  was  secured  to  him,  Syria  and  Candia 
were  given  up,  Mohammed  was  to  reduce  his  army  to 
18,000  men,  and  pay  the  Sultan  an  annual  tribute  of 
£306,000.    • 

"During  the  last  years  of  his  life  Mohammed  Ali 
was  an  imbecile,  Ibrahim  assumed  the  reins  of 
government,  and  the  Pacha  died  in  1849  at  the  age  of 
eighty.  Ibrahim  died  before  his  father,  and  Abbas 
Pacha  succeeded  to  the  Pachalic  at  the  death  of  his 
grandfather.  He  is  often  described  as  brutal,  vicious, 
and  rapacious,  especially  by  Europeans.  Perhaps  he 
inherited  from  his  Arab  mother  a  degree  of  ferocity, 
and  with  it  the  spirit  of  the  Bedouins  of  the  desert, 
for  he  had  no  fancy  for  the  innovations  of  foreigners. 
He  was  a  rigid  disciplinarian  among  his  officials,  and 
the  public  safety  was  effectually  secured  under  his 
government. 


130  UP  AND   DOWN   THE   KILS 

"He  was  succeeded  by  Said  Pacha  (pronounced 
sah-eed),  the  third  son  of  Mohammed  Ali.  Ke  was  an 
enlightened  prince,  with  a  taste  for  European  civiliza- 
tion, and  Egypt  made  no  little  progress  under  his 
control.  He  completed  the  railroads  from  Cairo  to 
Alexandria  and  to  Suez,  and  supported  Ferdinand  de 
Lesseps  in  the  construction  of  the  Suez  Canal.  In 
the  Crimepji  War  he  was  compelled  to  send  an  army 
and  a  large  sum  of  money  to  the  Porte.  He  died  in 
1863,  after  a  reign  of  nine  3' ears. 

"  His  nephew,  Ismfdl  Pacha,  the  second  son  of  Ibra- 
him, born  in  1830,  was  the  next  Pacha.  He  had  been 
educated  in  France,  and  from  the  familiarity  with 
European  institutions  thus  obtained,  he  had  a  great 
preference  for  them.  Unhappily,  he  was  inclined  to 
be  an  egotist,  and  given  to  practise  cunning  and  dupli- 
city. Mainly  for  his  own  interest  he  established  man- 
ufactories, and  constructed  canals,  railroads,  bridges, 
and  telegraphs,  though,  of  course,  the  people  had  the 
benefit  of  them,  if  the  profits  did  go  into  his  own 
pocket.  He  appropriated  to  his  own  use  about  one- 
fifth  of  the  arable  land  of  his  country.  In  1866,  by 
the  payment  of  a  large  sum  of  money,  of  which  the 
Porte  was  alvN'ays  in  need,  he  obtained  from  it  the 
concession  that  the  succession  should  be  based  on 
the  law  of  primogeniture,  or,  in  other  words,  that  the 
eldest  son  should  succeed  to  his  father  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  country,  and  also  that  he  should  be  raised 
to  the  rank  of  Khedive,  or  Viceroy,  having  before  been 
only  a  icali,  or  governor  of  a  province. 


SOME  OF  THE  MODERN  HISTOKY  OF    EGYPT      131 

"  He  also  obtained  many  other  concessions,  which 
made  him  very  nearly  an  independent  monarch ;  but 
the  annual  tribute  was  largely  increased  as  compensar 
tion  for  these  favors.  Tor  about  ten  years  past  the 
Khedive,  under  these  grants  of  power  from  the  Sultan, 
has  the  right  to  make  treaties  with  foreign  nations, 
increase  his  army  beyond  the  limit  of  18,000,  to  coin 
money,  and  to  borrow  money.  The  latter  has  proved 
to  be  the  cause  of  immense  mischief  to  the  country 
and  the  ruler. 

"  In  1878  the  public  debt  had  swelled  to  over 
£100,000,  or  about  $500,000.  The  net  debt  of  the 
United  States  this  year  is  $841,526,164,"  continued 
the  professor,  reading  from  a  paper  in  his  hand,  to 
which  he  had  occasionally  referred.  "  But  the  size 
of  tlie  debt  is  to  be  measured  in  comparison  with  the 
population  and  the  revenues  of  the  country.  Egypt 
has  about  7,000,000  inhabitants,  and  its  revenues  are 
about  $50,000,  as  estimated  for  the  present  year, 
which  falls  short  of  the  expenditures  by  $150,000. 
At  this  rate  it  will  take  a  long  time  to  pay  its  debt. 

"  In  1878  the  finance  minister  had  made  loans  so 
recklessly,  and  had  become  so  powerful,  that  the  Khed- 
ive deposed  him,  and  caused  him  privately  to  be  put 
to  death.  The  vast  debt  of  Egypt  was  due  to  foreign- 
ers, and  the  '  Powers '  took  the  matter  of  payment  into 
their  own  hands.  They  put  such  a  pressure  upon 
him  that  the  Khedive  was  forced  to  pass  over  his  per- 
sonal and  family  estates  to  the  State.  The  ^  Powers ' 
insisted   upon    a  different   management,  and   a   nev/ 


132  UP   AND  DOWN  THE   NILE 

ministry  was  created,  with  an  Englishman  and  a 
Frenchman  having  a  supervisory  control  in  certain 
branches. 

"  The  Khedive  encouraged  a  disposition  to  rebel  on 
the  part  of  certain  disbanded  officers,  who  demanded 
a  change  of  the  ministry,  which  was  conceded.  The 
^Powers'  lost  their  patience,  and  demanded  the  resig- 
nation of  Ismail,  which  was  refused,  and  they  called 
upon  the  Porte  to  remove  him.  This  was  done  in 
1879,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Prince  Tewfik,  his 
eldest  son,  then  twenty-seven  years  old  (his  name 
is  pronounced  Tev-fik).  The  English  and  French 
supervisors  in  the  interests  of  the  debt  were  soon 
involved  in  trouble.  Arabi  Bey,  the  minister  of  war, 
took  measures,  without  the  consent  of  the  Khedive,  to 
reduce  the  foreign  influence  in  the  government. 

"  Egypt  seemed  disposed  to  resist  any  outside  inter- 
vention in  the  affairs  of  the  country  by  force,  and  the 
consuls  were  notified  to  this  effect.  The  nominal 
ruler,  as  he  appeared  to  be  by  this  time,  promised 
fairly  ;  but  affairs  did  not  march  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  'Powers,'  and  a  British  and  a  French  fleet  appeared 
before  Alexandria.  In  June,  1882,  a  serious  riot  oc- 
curred in  this  city ;  and  many  Europeans  were  killed 
in  spite  of  the  promise  of  xDrotection  on  the  part  of 
the  authorities,  and  others  fled  to  the  ships  for 
safety. 

"  In  July  the  British  fleet  bombarded  Alexandria; 
and  the  fortified  camp  of  Arabi  Bey,  the  recalcitrant 
minister,  was  stormed  by  a  force  under  Sir   Garnet 


SOME  OF  THE  MODERN  HISTOPwY  OF   EGYPT      133 

Wolseley.  The  plucky  Egyptian  and  his  associates 
were  captured,  and  exiled  to  Ceylon.  After  this,  Eng- 
lish influence  was  dominant  in  Egypt,  the  French  no 
longer  taking  an  active  part  in  the  proceedings. 

"In  the  fall  of  1883  a  very  formidable  rebellion 
broke  out  in  the  Nubian  tribes  of  the  Soudan  under 
the  lead  of  Mohammed  Ahmed,  generally  called  the 
Mahdi.  He  was  a  fanatic  who  claimed  to  inherit 
from  the  son-in-law  of  the  Prophet,  Ali,  powers  equal, 
and  perhaps  superior,  to  those  of  the  founder  of  the 
Mohammedan  religion.  An  Egyptian  army  of  10,000, 
under  Hicks  Pacha,  was  wiped  out  by  his  forces,  and 
another  of  3,500,  under  Baker  Pacha,  was  totally  de- 
feated in  1884. 

"  In  this  strait  the  English  government  induced 
General  Charles  George  Gordon,  a  wonderfully  heroic 
and  chivalrous  soldier,  as  noble  as  he  was  humble,  to 
proceed  to  the  Soudan.  He  had  achieved  wonders  in 
China,  and  as  Gordon  Pacha  had  reduced  the  tribes 
of  the  Soudan  to  subjection.  A  month  later  Gordon 
reached  his  destination  at  Khartum,  which  he  pro- 
posed to  save  from  the  grasp  of  the  Mahdi.  He  was 
besieged  for  five  months,  when  an  expedition  was 
organized  in  England,  where  it  was  believed  that  one 
of  the  noblest,  bravest,  and  most  modest  of  men  was 
in  imminent  peril.  General  Graham  commanded  this 
force,  and  he  defeated  Osman  Digna,  the  Mahdi's  lieu- 
tenant ;  but  the  chief  still  maintained  his  position  in 
front  of  Khartum. 

"Then   a  second   expedition  under  Wolseley  was 


134  UP   AND    DOWN   THE    NILE 

sent  to  the  relief  of  Gordon.  After  many  difficulties 
surmounted,  and  with  considerable  fighting  on  the 
way,  this  force  reached  the  vicinity  of  the  besieged 
town.  It  was  too  late.  The  place  had  been  captured 
by  the  Mahdi  two  days  before,  and  Gordon  had  fallen. 
His  journal  of  the  siege  was  found,  and  it  was  sus- 
pected that  he  perished  through  treachery.  One  of 
Gordon's  lieutenants,  Dr.  Schnitzler,  better  known  as 
Emin  Pacha,  was  visited  farther  south  by  Stanley  in 
1888.  His  history  is  interesting ;  but  he  perished 
while  still  leading  his  wandering  life. 

"  The  English  expedition  withdrew  from  the  Soudan 
after  the  loss  of  Khartum,  leaving  the  Egyptians  to 
fight  their  own  battles  with  the  turbulent  tribes  ;  but 
the  Mahdi  is  dead,  and  Abdallah  is  his  successor. 
The  Soudan  and  its  affairs  are  not  very  clearly  under- 
stood at  the  present  time.  The  Khedive  Tewfik  died 
less  than  a  year  ago ;  and  in  accordance  with  the  new 
law  of  descent  in  the  country,  he  was  succeeded  by 
his  eldest  son,  Abbas,  who  is  the  present  Khedive. 
He  was  born  July  14,  1874,  and  is  therefore  only  18 
years,  4  months,  and  21  days  old  to-day,"  said  the 
professor  with  a  pleasant  smile.  "  I  give  you  his 
exact  age  so  that  the  young  gentlemen  present  can 
compare  it  with  their  own.  He  has  one  brother, 
seventeen  years  old,  and  two  sisters,  thirteen  and 
eleven  years  old.  I  have  finished  my  long  story  for 
the  present,  though  as  we  proceed  on  our  tour,  there 
will  be  events  to  be  given  more  in  detail  on  the  spot 
where  they  occurred  j "  and  the  professor  bov/ed,  and 


SOME  OF  THE  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  EGYPT   135 

took  his  chair  amid  a  hearty  and  prolonged  round  of 
applause. 

"We  are  extremely  obliged  to  you  for  the  very 
interesting  and  instructive  account  you  have  given 
us  of  the  ancient  and  the  modern  Egyptians,"  said 
the  commander,  and  another  volley  of  applause  in- 
dorsed the  statement. 

Those  who  had  questions  to  ask  proposed  them  and 
they  were  answered.  The  only  one  of  especial  impor- 
tance was  in  relation  to  the  various  marks  which  those 
who  had  the  Baedeker  in  their  hands  asked. 

"Where  you  find  a  diseresis  over  a  u  it  is  to  be 
pronounced  like  the  same  letter  in  Trench,  or  the  um- 
laut u  in  German,"  replied  the  professor.  "  A  circum- 
flex over  a  vowel  lengthens  the  sound  as  in  French,  as 
in  emir,  pronounce  it  ay-meer;  shekh,  shake,  as  in 
English  ;  talul,  too-lool ;  Abulzir,  Ah-boo-keer." 
The  Conference  closed  at  this  time  for  the  day. 


136  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE   EXCURSION    OF    THE   MAUD    TO    KAMLEH 

However  long  the  history  lesson  of  Professor 
Giroud  may  have  seemed  to  Mr.  Woolridge,  though 
he  was  certainly  greatly  interested  in  the  larger  por- 
tion of  it,  hardly  more  than  an  hour  had  been  con- 
sumed by  it;  and  it  was  now  only  a  quarter-past 
three.  The  commander  was  not  willing  to  make  these 
instructive  lessons  a  burden  to  the  party,  and  he 
had  decided  to  continue  them  on  the  journeys  ashore 
rather  than  have  them  all  come  in  the  beginning. 

Before  the  Conference  met,  he  had  instructed  Cap- 
tain Scott  to  have  the  Maud  ready  for  the  company 
at  half-past  three.  Second  engineer  Sentrick  had 
been  sent  on  board  of  the  little  steamer  to  assist 
Felipe,  and  four  seamen  to  relieve  the  "  Big  Four," 
who  were  present,  from  duty.  The  pilot  had  remained 
on  board  the  ship  by  request,  and  took  the  wheel. 
This  man  had  listened  to  the  remarks  of  the  pro- 
fessor, and  the  officers  and  some  of  the  seamen  were 
always  inclined  to  get  within  hearing  of  the  lessons. 

Louis,  his  mother,  and  Miss  Blanche  had  taken 
seats  on  the  forecastle,  and  the  owner  of  the  Guard- 
ian-Mother was  again  in  the  higliest  stage  of  felicity. 


THE  EXCURSION  OF  THE  MAUD  TO  RAMLEH      137 

While  lie  was  not  at  all  forward  in  Ms  relations  with 
the  beautiful  young  lady,  he  was  never  so  happy  as 
when  he  was  in  her  presence.  She  had  given  him  a 
cordial  welcome  after  the  separation  of  a  week  on  the 
voyage  from  Malaga  to  Alexandria,  when  both  of 
them  blushed,  they  knew  not  why,  for  they  were  as 
unconscious  of  what  others  realized  as  though  they 
had  been  babies  in  their  cradles.  The  other  person- 
ages of  the  "  Big  Four  "  were  apt  to  look  askance  at 
them  when  they  were  together  ;  but  if  they  said  any- 
thing, it  was  only  in  dark  and  remote  hints. 

The  Maud  got  under  way  with  the  pilot  at  the 
wheel.  He  was  a  Maltese,  of  whom  there  were  many 
in  Egypt,  who  served  in  boats,  as  guides,  and  as  drag- 
omans on  the  Nile.  Malta  and  Gozo  are  British,  and 
these  men  speak  English  fluently.  Agreeably  to  the 
direction  of  the  commander,  who  had  instructed  him 
where  he  was  to  take  the  steamer,  he  stood  across  the 
harbor  to  the  toe  of  what  is  as  good  a  boot  in  shape 

as  Italy  itself. 

"You  are  going  right  across  the  Harbor  Bank, 
Mr.  Pilot,"  suggested  Captain  Scott,  who  was  at  his 
side  in  the  pilot-house. 

"There  is  plenty  of  water  for  this  boat,  though 
there  are  some  places  with  only  nine  feet  on  them," 
he  replied  with  a  smile.  "  You  are  the  captain  of 
this  little  craft,  I  believe." 

"I  am,  and  I  should  not  like  to  have  her  take  the 
ground,  which  she  never  did  when  I  had  the  wheel." 

"And  she  shall  not  while  I  have  it,  for  I  will  not 


138  UP  AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 

take  her  into  less  than  twelve  feet  of  water  ;  and  we 
get  more  than  that  off  the  point  ahead." 

"What  is  this  point  we  are  coming  to,  Mr.  Bel- 
grave  ?  "  asked  Miss  Blanche. 

"  That  is  —  I  forget  the  name,"  replied  Louis,  with 
some  confusion  that  he  should  not  be  able  to  answer  a 
question  put  by  her. 

"  Eunostos  Point,"  said  Scott,  who  was  within  hear- 
ing of  them. 

"  Thanks ;  I  can't  remember  all  these  Greek  and 
Arabic  words,"  replied  Louis  ;  but  he  had  not  studied 
the  chart  of  the  harbor  for  hours  as  the  captain 
had. 

"  There  is  a  palace,  or  something  of  that  sort,  on  the 
point,"  added  Miss  Blanche. 

'  "  This  promontory  is  called  the  Ras  et-Tin,"  Louis 
explained,  as  he  took  his  guide-book  from  his  pocket. 
"  You  see  I  have  put  my  armor  on  now,"  he  added, 
holding  up  the  book. 

"  Is  there  a  tin  mine  there  ?  "  asked  the  fair  girl, 
whereat  the  pilot  laughed. 

"Probably  not,  for  the  book  says  that  the  name 
means  '  promontory  of  figs.'  The  palace  was  built  by 
Mohammed  Ali,  and  restored  by  Ismail.  The  council 
chambers  were  destroyed  by  fire,  and  it  is  not  interest- 
ing enough  to  pay  for  visiting  it." 

"  I  think  I  have  been  through  about  j^alaces  enough, 
though  some  in  Egypt  may  be  novel  and  interesting," 
answered  Miss  Blanche. 

The  Maud  continued  on  her  course  to  the  eastward, 


THE  EXCURSIOX  OF  THE  MAUD  TO  RAMLEIi       139 

and  reached  the  heel  of  the  boot,  beyond  which  was 
the  extensive  fort  of  the  Pharos,  which  protects  the 
entrance  to  the  eastern  harbor.  It  seems  to  be  called 
the  ^ew  Port  because  it  is  the  older  of  the  two  ;  but 
the  French  call  it  the  "  Port  Oriental,''  and  the  other 
the  "Port  Occidental,"  meaning  eastern  and  western, 
respectively.  The  eastern  harbor  is  far  smaller  than 
the  western. 

"This  place,  now  called  Pharos,  had  a  lighthouse 
on  it  in  the  time  of  Ptolemy  which  was  five  hundred 
and  ninety  feet  high,"  said  the  pilot,  who  evidently 
desired  to  make  himself  useful. 

"  AYhew ! "  exclaimed  Scott.  "  Do  you  expect  us  to 
believe  that  ?  " 

"  Ask  the  French  gentleman  who  preached  to  you 
this  afternoon,  for  I  believe  he  knows  everything." 

"  I  don't  think  he  believes  anything  he  don't  know. 
Nearly  six  hundred  feet  high !  "  added  Scott. 

"  I  wasn't  there  to  measure  it."  laughed  the  pilot ; 
"but  that's  what  they  say,  and  you  have  it  as  cheap 
as  I  do.  It  was  thought  to  be  one  of  the  seven  won- 
ders of  the  world  by  the  ancients,  and  all  lighthouses 
are  called  after  it  in  French." 

"  The  English  authority  puts  it  that  it  was  said  to 
be  four  hundred  feet  high,  as  though  there  was  some 
doubt,  even,  as  to  this  figure,"  interposed  Captain 
Ringgold,  who  had  come  forward  and  heard  part  of 
the  conversation.  '•  There  is  no  law  that  compels  you 
to  believe  either  of  these  stories,  and  you  pay  your 
money,  etc.     That  is  the  place  where  it  stood  without 


140  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

much,  doubt,  and  it  was  formerly  an  island,  connected 
with  the  land  by  a  causeway  now." 

"  That  point  on  the  other  side  of  the  eastern  harbor 
is  the  Pharillon,"  the  pilot  interjected  as  the  com- 
mander was  looking  about  him. 

"  What  in  the  world  is  that  ?  "  asked  Scott. 

"  It  is  a  place  where  the  fishermen  have  a  grate 
built  in  which  they  keep  a  fire  at  night  to  attract  the 
fish,"  replied  the  captain  of  the  ship.  "It  seems  to 
have  been  built  out  so  as  to  reach  the  deeper  water. 
It  is  an  extension  of  Point  Lochias,  and  the  entrance 
to  the  eastern  harbor  was  between  this  and  the  Pharos. 
An  attempt  was  made  to  open  this  port,  called  the 
New  Port  in  ancient  times ;  but  it  was  so  choked  up 
with  sand  and  mud  that  it  was  given  up.  It  never 
was  a  good  harbor,  for  there  are  many  rocks  at 
the  bottom  which  sometimes  extends  too  near  the 
top." 

"  We  can  see  the  whole  city  from  this  place,"  said 
Louis. 

"  You  can  ;  and  that  is  the  reason  why  I  asked  the 
pilot  to  come  here.  The  greater  part  of  the  city  lies 
between  the  two  harbors.  Eun  down  by  the  Gover- 
nor's Palace,  Pilot,"  continued  the  commander;  and 
when  the  Maud  had  reached  this  point,  he  ordered 
him  to  stop  her.  "All  the  territory  on  which  the 
arsenal  and  palace  stand  appears  to  have  been  an 
island.  From  the  city  to  the  island,  Ptolemy  I.,  or 
his  son  Philadelphus,  built  a  causeway  called  the 
Hepstadium." 


THE  EXCURSION  OF  THE  MAUD  TO  RA^SILEH      141 

Scott  and  Morris  both  applied  their  hands  to  their 
jaws  as  though  they  had  been  broken. 

"Kot  a  very  hard  word  if  you  divide  into  hepta, 
seven,  and  stadium,  the  eighth  of  a  Eoman  mile,  or 
about  seven  hundred  feet,  which  was  the  length  of 
the  causeway.  This  great  embankment  has  been  en- 
larged to  its  present  width  by  artificial  filling,  and  by 
natural  deposits  brought  in  by  the  sea  on  both  sides. 
You  can  see  that  the  greater  portion  of  the  city  is 
built  on  it." 

The  steamer  went  ahead  again,  headed  down  to  the 
bight  of  the  harbor.  There  are  several  shoals  in  this 
bay  where  the  water  was  only  six  to  nine  feet  deep ; 
but  the  pilot  skilfully  avoided  all  of  them,  steering 
as  nearly  as  the  depth  would  permit  for  a  tower  on 
the  shore. 

"  It  is  quite  a  pretty  place  on  shore,"  said  Mrs.  Bel- 
grave,  pointing  to  a  village  of  country  houses,  with 
pleasant  gardens  around  them. 

"Very  pretty  indeed,"  replied  the  commander;  and 
Scott  thought  he  knew  why  he  was  on  the  forecastle 
when  most  of  the  party  were  seated  on  the  velvet 
cushions  of  the  standing-room.  "  This  is  Eamleh, 
and  it  may  be  regarded  as  a  sort  of  summer  resort. 
On  the  hill  is  the  summer  palace  of  the  Khedive. 
The  rich  people  of  Cairo  and  Alexandria  have  country 
residences  here,  where  it  must  be  cool  in  the  hot 
weather.  They  have  their  Long  Branch  and  Cape 
]\[ay  here  as  well  as  those  of  Xew  York  and  Phila- 
delphia ;  and  it  is  not  a  new  idea  here,  for  abreast  of 


142  UP   AND   DOY/lN    THE   KILE 

that  tower  you  will  find  the  ruins  of  Cleopatra's 
palace,  and  farther  along  those  of  the  Ptolemys." 

"  But  what  is  the  tower  ?  "  asked  the  lady.  ''  Is  it 
an  old  windmill  ?  " 

"  Hardly,"  laughed  the  commander.  "  It  is  called 
a  Roman  Tower,  perhaps  because  it  is  believed  by 
those  who  understand  such  matters  that  it  was  built 
by  the  Arabians.  If  anybody  knows  what  it  was 
erected  for,  I  am  not  of  the  number,  and  I  am  unable 
to  tell  you  anything  about  it,  though  I  have  inquired 
of  those  who  ought  to  know.'' 

''You  have  been  here  before.  Captain  Einggold  ?  " 

''  This  is  the  fourth  time  I  have  been  here  ;  and  the 
last  time,  near  that  Eoman  Tower,  so  called,  stood 
another  monument  of  the  past,  the  famous  obelisk 
known  as  Cleopatra's  Needle.  I  do  not  find  in  any  of 
my  books  the  reason  why  it  was  so  designated,  and 
it  may  be  that  it  received  this  name  because  it  was 
located  near  her  palace.  It  is  a  work  of  art  covered 
with  hieroglyphics  which  I  did  not  stop  to  read.  One 
of  the  last  acts  of  the  Khedive  Ismail  was  to  present 
this  monument  to  the  city  of  New  York,  where  it  was 
set  up  in  Central  Park,  the  expense  being  paid  by 
William  H.  Vanderbilt." 

"  I  have  often  seen  it,"  added  Mrs.  Belgrave. 

"  The  people  of  Alexandria,  both  native  and  foreign, 
were  filled  with  indignation  at  this  act;  and  they 
vented  it  vigorously  as  they  saw  it  lifted  from  the 
place  it  had  occupied  for  two  thousand  years  by 
American    machinery,   and    conveyed  to    the   vessel 


THE  EXCURSION  OF    THE  MAUD  TO  UAMLEH      143 

wliicli  had  been  specially  built  to  convey  it  to  its 
destination.  It  w^ls  regarded  as  a  piece  of  vandalism, 
and  it  nearly  caused  a  popular  outbreak.  Tewtik, 
then  Khedive,  regarded  the  gift  of  his  father  as  bind- 
ing upon  himself,  and  sympathy  with  him  prevented 
a  violent  disturbance." 

"  Didn't  we  see  another  in  London,  Captain  ?  "  in- 
quired tiie  lady. 

"  And  another  in  Paris  ?  "  added  iVIiss  Blanche ;  for 
all  the  party  on  the  forecastle  were  listening  to  the 
commander. 

"  You  are  both  right,"  replied  Captain  Hinggold. 
"  The  one  in  London  is  on  the  embankment,  close  by 
the  Thames.  It  had  lain  for  centuries  by  the  side  of 
Cleopatra's  Needle.  The  one  that  adorns  the  Place 
de  la  Concord  was  presented  to  Louis  Philippe,  king 
of  France,  set  up  in  1836,  after  five  years'  labor  in 
getting  there,  by  Mohammed  Ali.  It  is  the  Obelisk 
of  Luxor,  and  you  are  likely  to  see  the  place  where  it 
came  from.  It  was  erected  by  Eamses  II.,  or  Sesos- 
tris.     I  believe  there  is  another  one  in  Rome." 

"  There  are  twelve  more  of  them  there,"  said  Louis. 

"Twelve  of  them  I"  exclaimed  the  captain. 
"  Where  did  you  find  that  out  ?  " 

"  In  Hare's  '  Walks  in  Eome,'  in  the  library." 

"  I  am  afraid  we  did  not  all  do  our  duty  faithfully 
in  Eome  if  we  failed  to  see  them." 

•'•'  I  saw  some  of  them ;  and  I  remember  that  I 
pointed  out  one  of  them  to  Miss  Blanche." 

"I  was  just  going  to  say  that  I  had  seen  one  ia. 


144  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

Rome,  but  I  was  not  quite  sure  that  it  was  there," 
added  the  fair  maiden. 

"  I  have  seen  so  many  things  I  cannot  remember 
them,"  said  Mrs.  Belgrave. 

"  You  will  recall  them  when  you  get  home,  and  en- 
joy them  all  the  more  when  you  have  nothing  else  to 
think  of,"  replied  the  commander.  "  The  obelisk  in 
London  is  only  seventy  feet  high." 

"  But  one  I  saw  in  Eome  was  a  hundred  and  four 
feet  high,"  added  Louis.  "  I  read  about  them  in 
Hare,  and  most  of  them  were  brought  over  by  Roman 
emperors,  and  I  think  the  three  you  have  mentioned 
are  the  only  ones  that  have  been  moved  from  Egypt 
in  modern  times." 

"  Where  shall  I  go  now,  Captain  ?  "  asked  the  pilot, 
who  had  been  an  attentive  listener  to  all  that  had 
been  said. 

"  I  think  there  is  nothing  more  in  this  section  for 
us  to  see  from  the  steamer,  though  we  shall  visit 
Ramleh  by  train  at  another  time.  You  may  go 
around  to  the  other  harbor,  approaching  the  shore 
near  Bab  el- Arab,  and  following  it  as  near  as  you  can 
back  to  the  ship,"  replied  the  commander. 

There  was  nothing  worthy  of  note  on  the  narrow 
neck  of  land  between  the  harbor  and  Lake  Mareotis, 
though  the  captain  pointed  out  the  Arab  gate,  the 
workshops  at  El-Meeks,  and  the  Maud  reached  the 
ship  in  time  for  dinner. 


A  RAINY  DAY  ON  THE  GUARDIAN-MOTHER      145 


CHAPTEE  XVI 

A    RAINY   DAY    ON    BOARD    THE    GUARDIAN-MOTHER 

The  climate  of  Alexandria,  and  of  the  Delta  gen- 
erally near  the  coast,  differs  essentially  from  that  of 
the  rest  of  Egypt ;  for  in  winter  it  frequently  rains, 
one  authority  says  almost  every  day.  When  the 
tourist  party  "  turned  out "  the  next  morning,  which 
was  Wednesday,  December  6,  as  the  calendar  on  the 
mainmast  in  the  cabin  indicated,  Sparks  and  Sordy, 
the  stewards,  informed  them  that  it  was  raining  quite 
hard.  They  found  it  so  themselves  when  some  of 
them  went  on  deck. 

Louis  went  to  the  captain's  cabin,  and  found  him 
busy  with  his  papers,  for  the  business  of  the  steamer 
was  conducted  in  a  very  methodical  manner.  Eelix 
McGavonty  had  been  appointed  captain's  clerk  at  the 
beginning  of  the  voyage,  and  had  served  as  such  since. 
It  required  very  little  of  his  time,  and  the  place  had 
been  given  to  him  so  that  he  might  hold  a  position  on 
board,  and  to  soften  the  wear  against  his  pride  of  en- 
tire dependence.  But  his  office  was  not  a  sinecure ; 
for  he  had  something  to  do  every  day,  even  when  he 
was  on  board  of  the  Maud,  and  sometimes  he  had  all 
he  wanted  to  do  when  not  engaged  with  the  party. 


146  UP   AND   DUVVN   THE   IN'ILE 

"  You  are  at  work  early  in  tlie  morning,  Captain 
Einggold,"  said  Louis,  after  they  had  passed  the 
morning  greetings. 

"  I  have  been  at  work  about  an  hour,  for  my  clerk 
is  absent/'  replied  the  commander. 

"  Then  I  will  not  disturb  you/'  added  Louis,  as  he 
walked  to  the  door. 

"  I  have  about  finished  my  work  ;  I  have  made  the 
entries  on  the  daybook,  and  I  will  let  Felix  post  them 
when  he  returns.  Sit  doAvn,  my  boy,  for  I  vrant  to 
see  you,"  interposed  the  captain. 

"  Didn't  Felix  come  back  last  night  ?  "  asked  Louis, 
somewhat  astonished.  ''  I  was  tired  and  went  to  bed 
early. 

"  He  has  not  come  back  yet ;  but  I  do  not  feel  at  all 
alarmed  about  him,  for  I  have  found  that  he  has 
the  ability  to  take  care  of  himself  as  well  as  you 
can." 

"  But  where  is  he  ?  I  supposed  he  would  only  fol- 
low the  Mussulman  visitor  to  some  hotel,  and  come 
back  in  tlie  evening,  if  not  earlier." 

"  I  don't  think  Ibrahim  was  particularly  well  satis- 
fied with  liis  visit  to  the  ship,  and  it  may  be  that  he 
has  found  it  necessary  to  make  some  new  combina- 
tion," the  commander  suggested.  "  If  Felix  were 
alone,  I  might  have  been  troubled  about  him,  for  he 
speaks  no  language  but  his  own,  and  might  have  got 
into  difiiculty.  But  he  has  John  Donald  with  him, 
vv'ho  appears  to  speak  and  write  Arabic  readily, 
though  of  course  I  am  no  judge  of  his  ability,  except 


A  RAIXY  DAY  ON  THE  GUARDIAN-MOTIIEIl      147 

as  I  have  seen  that  he  makes  himself  understood  in 
speaking  to  Turks,  Moors,  or  Arabs." 

^'  I  think  that  Don,  as  ^ve  all  call  him  on  board  of 
the  Maud,  is  a  very  honest  man.  He  is  a  Scotchman, 
and  he  is  very  well  educated,  and  is  posted  in  history 
and  geography.  I  have  lent  him  books,  and  he  spends 
his  spare  time  in  reading.  More  than  all,  I  believe 
he  is  an  upright  and  conscientious  man." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  you  speak  so  well  of  him, 
for  I  was  thinking  of  giving  him  a  better  place  during 
our  stay  in  Egypt  than  that  as  second  engineer  of  the 
Maud,  for  in  that  capacity  he  will  have  next  to  noth- 
ing to  do,"  added  the  commander.  "  His  knowledge 
of  the  language  of  this  country  will  make  him  very 
useful  to  us,  especially  if  we  are  compelled^ to  keep 
the  run  of  the  movements  of  '  His  Highness.'  " 

"  I  shall  be  glad  when  we  get  away  from  the  Medi- 
terranean Sea,  for  then  we  may  hope  to  be  entirely 
away  from  that  villain,"  said  Louis  warmly. 

"  Forewarned,  forearmed,  and  I  do  not  feel  much 
concerned  about  the  machinations  of  the  Moor," 
replied  Captain  Einggold  with  a  smile.  "  I  don't 
know  but  that  I  rather  enjoy  the  excitement  of  play- 
ing this  game  with  him,  as  one  who  understands  it 
delights  in  a  game  of  chess." 

"I  did  not  take  that  view  of  the  matter,"  added 
Louis,  Pvmused  at  this  new  phase. 

'^  I  do  not  feel  at  all  alarmed  for  the  safety  of  any 
of  my  passengers,  and  I  have  not  at  any  time  ;  if  I 
did  I  should  be  inclined  to  alter  the  course  of  our  voy- 


148  UP    AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

.'.ge.  If  your  mother  and  the  Woolridges  were  aware 
V  f  the  exact  situation,  they  would  compel  me  to  aban- 
don the  route  as  originally  planned.  I  have  run 
avv^ay  three  times  from  this  Mohammedan  humbug, 
and  I  am  not  disposed  to  do  it  again.  Our  principal 
business,  aside  from  travel  and  sight-seeing,  is  to 
be  on  the  watch  for  the  Pacha  and  his  agents,  and  to 
guard  just  as  carefully  our  momentous  secret,  and  keep 
it  confined  to  the  four  who  have  it  in  their  keeping." 

"  We  all  understand  that  if  the  secret  should  come 
out,  the  voyage  would  or  might  be  broken  up,  and  no 
one  in  the  ring  would  be  willing  to  bring  about  such  a 
catastrophe,"  replied  Louis.  "  But  what  do  you  sup- 
pose has  become  of  Flix  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  can  form  no  idea.  I  told  him  not  to 
follow  Ibrahim  to  Cairo,  and  I  am  satisfied  he  would 
not  go  there  ;  that  is  all  I  can  say  about  the  mat- 
ter," replied  the  commander  as  the  breakfast  bell 
rang. 

At  the  table  Mrs.  Blossom  was  very  persistent  in 
her  inquiries  as  to  where  Felix  was ;  but  the  captain 
warded  off  her  questions,  unwilling  to  permit  Louis  to 
do  so,  fearful  that  he  might  tell  too  much.  All  the 
commander  would  say  was  that  he  knew  where  the 
absentee  was,  as  he  had  sent  him  on  an  errand ;  and 
he  told  no  lies  about  it. 

The  party  bemoaned  their  fate  in  being  obliged  to 
remain  on  board  on  account  of  the  rain,  for  all  ex- 
pected to  go  on  shore  and  "  do  "  Alexandria  that  day. 
The  captain  told  them  that  they  had  better  make  up 


A  IIAINV  DAY  ON  THE  GUARD! A^-3IUT Hi: ii       149 

their  minds  to  submit  T\'ith  good  grace  to  tlieir  impris- 
onment, for  even  if  it  cleared  off  before  noon,  they 
would  not  be  able  to  go  on  shore  in  the  afternoon,  for 
they  could  not  travel  about  the  city  with  anything 
like  comfort. 

"AMiy  not  ?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Belgrave. 

"  Because  the  effect  of  a  smart  shower  in  the  town 
is  about  the  same  as  an  inundation  of  Xile  mud,  and 
the  streets  are  almost  impassable  in  some  parts  of  the 
city.  The  place  is  a  strange  mixture  of  the  Oriental 
and  Occidental.  The  native  sections  are  not  paved, 
are  mostly  filled  with  huts  and  shanties,  and  on  such 
a  day  as  this  the  streets  are  not  passable  for  ladies." 

^'  Is  the  whole  city  like  that  ?  '' 

"  Xo ;  on  the  contrary,  the  European  quarters  are 
paved,  lighted  with  gas,  and  contain  plenty  of  shops, 
cafes,  and  three  theatres  :  but  the  difficulty  would  be 
in  getting  there.  Our  custom-house  of&cial  says  it 
will  soon  clear  off,  and  the  sun  will  dry  up  the  streets 
before  night.  This  afternoon  we  may  be  able  to  open 
the  Conference  again  on  the  upper  deck." 

The  Conference  was  not  just  what  they  wanted 
when  they  had  expected  to  go  on  shore ;  but  they 
made  the  best  of  the  situation,  and  in  a  short  time 
they  were  singing  in  the  boudoir,  and  appeared  to  be 
as  happy  as  children  when  they  have  found  a  new 
play  in-doors  if  kept  in  by  the  weather.  The  com- 
mander was  with  them ;  but  about  eleven  o'clock  the 
harmony  was  disturbed  by  the  entrance  of  Felix,  who 
was  well  plastered  with  mud  from  head  to  foot. 


150  UP  AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 

"  Where  in  the  world  have  you  been,  Felix  McGav- 
onty  ? "  almost  shouted  Mrs.  Blossom,  as  the  wan- 
derer halted  at  the  door. 

"  Ye're  quite  right,  Grrandma,  for  I  haven't  been 
out  of  the  wurruld  at  all  at  all ;  but  in  the  wurruld,  I 
have  been  over  a  dale  of  it  for  a  schmall  b'y  of  eigh- 
teen," replied  Felix;  and  the  good  woman  wanted 
him  to  call  her  mother,  but  he  sometimes  compromised 
by  calling  her  grandma,  which  she  did  not  like  at 
all. 

"  That  don't  answer  my  question,"  protested  the 
lady.  "I  asked  you  where  in  the  world  you  had 
been  ?  " 

"And  I  tould  ye's  I  hadn't  been  out  uv  ut.  I 
didn't  fale  quoite  aisy  in  me  moind  whoile  the  profes- 
sor was  talkin'  to  us,  and  I  joost  thought  I'd  mahke  a 
bit  up  a  thrip  over  to  Cilicia,  and  have  a  bit  uv  a 
schwim  up  the  Cyndicus  to  Tarsus,  where  St.  Paul, 
lahnsf  loif  to  'im  !  was  born  and  lived  for  a  whoile, 
though  the  professor  didn't  tell  us  about  that.  I 
troid  could  I  foind  anything  of  Cleopathra  sailin'  up 
the  river  wid  that  foine  barge,  which  must  have  been 
nairly  aiqual  to  the  eight-oar  barge  of  the  owner  of 
the  Gairjin-Mudther  ;  but  sorra  one  bit  of  it  cud  Oi 
foind." 

"You  are  fooling  me,  Felix,  for  Cleopatra  died 
from  the  bite  of  a  p'ison  snake  two  thousand  years 
ago.  But  I  am  glad  you  went  to  see  the  early  home 
of  St.  Paul,  and  I  hope  you  will  be  more  like  him 
than  you  are  nov\^,"  replied  the  excellent  woman,  who 


A  EAIXY  DxVY  ON  THE  GUAnDIAN-MOTHER      151 

discovered  the  hitch  in  the  chronology,  but  had  no 
idea  that  Tarsus  was  on  another  continent.  "  I  hope 
the  commander  will  take  us  all  to  the  birthplace  of 
St.  Paul.'' 

The  fiction  of  Felix  had  set  the  party  to  laughing 
in  a  mild  way,  but  the  reply  of  Mrs.  Blossom,  so  very 
innocent,  rendered  their  mirth  uncontrollable. 

"I  don't  see  v/liat  under  the  canopy  you  are  all 
laughing  at,"  added  the  worthy  lady,  as  she  looked 
from  one  to  another  of  the  baker's  dozen. 

"I  only  came  to  the  door  to  show  myself,  so  that 
you  could  see  just  how  much  ^ile  mud  is  lying  loose 
about  the  streets  of  Alexandria,"  continued  Felix, 
dropping  his  brogue  when  he  realized  that  the  diver- 
sion had  saved  him  from  any  further  questions  on 
the  part  of  the  devoted  woman.  "  If  you  will  excuse 
me,  I  will  put  myself  into  a  more  presentable  condi- 
tion," and  he  hastily  retreated  from  the  door  ;  and 
what  he  had  done  in  showing  himself  was  only  his 
way  of  reporting  to  the  commander  that  he  had 
arrived. 

"  What  under  the  sun  were  you  all  laughing  at 
just  now,  Mrs.  Belgrave  ?  "  asked  the  companion  of 
that  lady,  as  soon  as  Felix  disappeared.  "  What  ter- 
rible blunder  have  I  made  now  ?  Didn't  I  know  that 
Cleopatra  was  dead  and  gone  long  before  I  was 
born  ?  " 

'*  You  were  quite  right  so  far  as  Cleopatra  was  con- 
cerned; but  Felix  was  jesting  with  you  when  he  said 
he  had  been  to  Tarsus,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  com- 


152  UP  AND   DOWN  THE  NILE 

pany  understood  it,  though  you  swallowed  it  like  a 
sugar-coated  pill.  Of  course  no  one  but  you  sup- 
posed he  had  been  to  Tarsus  ;  for  Cilicia  is  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  five  hundred 
miles  from  Alexandria  at  least,"  the  owner's  mother 
explained. 

"Why  didn't  you  nudge  me,  Maud,  and  tell  me 
that  I  was  making  a  fool  of  myself  ?  I  begin  to 
think  I  don't  know  enough  to  travel  with  this  party," 
replied  Mrs.  Blossom. 

"  If  you  should  talk  less,  the  party  might  take  you 
for  the  wisest  of  women,"  suggested  her  friend. 

"  A  body  can't  hold  her  tongue  all  the  time,  and  I 
wasn't  brought  up  that  way.  I  am  almost  sorry 
I  came  on  this  trip,"  added  the  mortified  lady. 

"  You  talk  as  well  as  anybody  when  you  confine 
yourself  to  subjects  that  you  understand;  but  you 
speak  of  matters  on  which  I  think  it  is  prudent  to  be 
silent.  All  on  board  respect  you  and  have  the 
highest  regard  for  you." 

"But  Felix  loves  to  tease  me,"  suggested  the 
motherly  widow  of  Ezra  Blossom. 

"And  you  love  to  tease  him,  Sarah,"  added  Mrs. 
Belgrave  with  a  smile.  "Why  can't  you  fall  in  with 
his  humor,  and  not  insist  upon  hugging  him,  and 
trying  to  make  him  call  you  mother  ?  " 

"  And  he  called  me  grandma  to-day  !  "  exclaimed 
the  troubled  lady.     "  He  isn't  a  bit  like  Louis." 

"  We  can't  all  be  alike,  and  if  Louis  did  not  like  to 
have  me  treat  him  like  a  mother  I  should  not  do  so. 


A  RAINY  DAY  OX  THE  GUABDIAis-MOTHER      153 

Felix  is  as  good  a  bo}^  as  ever  lived,  and  it  is  about 
time  for  both  of  us  to  cease  treating  him  and  Felix 
like  little  boys,  for  they  are  eighteen  years  old,  and 
boys  of  that  age  do  not  like  that  sort  of  endear- 
ments." 

The  singing  proceeded;  but  the  commander  very 
soon  excused  himself  on  the  plea  that  he  had  business 
in  his  cabin;  and  no  one  presumed  to  question  him. 
He  found  Felix  and  Don  on  the  main  deck,  not  far 
from  the  boudoir,  where  they  were  waiting  for 
him,   the    engineer   with    a   huge   bundle   under  his 


arm 


"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  on  board  again,  Felix,"  said 
the  commander,  gi^^ng  his  hand  to  the  amateur  de- 
tective. "You  both  look  as  though  you  had  been 
through  a  war  with  the  Nile  mud." 

"  That  is  just  vrhat  we  have  been  through ;  and  my 
feet  are  wet  to  the  bones,  as  Louis  puts  it  in  French," 
replied  Felix,  as  he  looked  over  his  garments. 

''Have  you  been  to  Cairo?"  inquired  the  captain 
with  a  smile. 

'•No,  sir ;  you  told  me  not  to  go  there." 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?  " 

"  To  Eamleh." 

"  That  is  not  far  off ;  and  I  thought,  as  you  did  not 
come  back  last  night,  that  you  might  have  gone  to 

Eosetta." 

"Not  till  this  morning;  but  the  Abdel  Kadixie,  or 
whatever  his  name  may  be,  led  us  a  long  chase,  and 
finally  brought  up  at  Eamleh.     I  stopped  in  the  city 


154  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

to  buy  a  suit  of  Oriental  togs  for  Don  John,  as  you 
ordered  me  to  do." 

"  Then  he  may  go  and  put  them  on ;  and  you  may 
cha,nge  your  wet  clothes  for  dry  ones,  and  then  report 
in  my  cabin  with  Louis  and  Scott,*'  said  the  com- 
mander, as  he  started  for  his  private  apartment. 


THE  TKA2;SLATI0>i  OF  THE  ARABIC  LETTEU      155 


CHAPTEK   XYII 

THE    TRANSLATION    OF    THE    ARABIC    LETTER 

When  he  came  out  of  the  boudoir,  Captain  King- 
gold  found  that  the  sun  was  shining  brightly,  and  the 
black  clouds  were  rolling  away  where  they  would  be 
dried  up  in  the  airs  of  the  Libyan  desert.  The  party 
were  so  anxious  to  go  on  shore  after  their  confinement 
of  over  a  week  on  board  the  ship,  that  he  changed  his 
mind,  and  decided  to  gratify  them  in  the  afternoon. 
He  called  Felix  back,  and  authorized  him  to  announce 
his  intention  to  the  party  when  he  summoned  Scott 
and  Louis  to  his  cabin. 

Felix  changed  his  dress  and  went  to  the  boudoir, 
where  he  contrived  to  call  the  ones  wanted  without 
attracting  the  attention  of  Morris,  who  was  not 
wanted.  His  announcement  was  very  favorably  re- 
ceived by  the  party,  and  the  one  whose  presence  was 
not  desired  happened  to  be  busy  playing  dominoes 
with  his  mother. 

"What's  up,  Flix?"  asked  Scott,  when  they  reached 
the  main  deck. 

"  You  must  tell  Felipe  to  have  the  Maud  ready  for 
this  afternoon,  and  then  come  to  the  captain's  cabin," 
replied  Felix,  as  he  led  the  way  to  the  room  indi- 


156  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

cated ;  and  Scott  appeared  there  a  few  minutes 
later. 

''  As  you  are  aware,  our  detective  has  been  at  work 
since  yesterday  afternoon,  and  I  have  called  you  to 
hear  his  report,"  said  the  commander,  as  he  settled 
himself  in  his  easy-chair. 

"I  am  all  ready  to  report,  though  what  I  have  t~ 
tell  is  of  no  great  importance,  and  I  can  finish  my 
yarn  in  ten  minutes  or  less,"  replied  Felix.  "We 
dogged  Ibrahim  through  various  streets,  into  three 
hotels,  and  watched  him  in  about  half  a  dozen  cafes 
for  six  hours." 

"I  wish  to  inquire  in  the  beginning  if  you  have 
allowed  the  Moor  to  see  and  identify  you  ? "  asked 
the  captain. 

"  We  looked  out  for  that,  for  I  thought  it  possible 
that  he  might  recognize  me,  though  he  had  hardly 
seen  Don  John,  if  at  all,  for  he  was  in  the  fireroom 
of  the  Maud  when  we  saw  the  most  of  him  in  the 
skirmish  with  the  Samothraki.  I  sent  Don  into  the 
cafes  to  look  him  over  and  see  what  he  was  driving 
at.  He  showed  himself  to  the  Moor,  but  he  made  no 
sign  of  recognition." 

"  Go  on,"  said  the  commander. 

"  Don  said  Ibrahim  looked  as  though  he  was  study- 
ing up  something  all  the  time,  and  hardly  took  any 
notice  of  what  was  going  on  around  him,"  continued 
Felix.  "About  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  he  left 
the  last  cafe,  and  we  followed  him  to  the  railroad 
station,  which  is  just  outside  of  the  fortifications." 


THE  TRANSLATION  OF  THE  ARABIC  LETTER      157 

"  Wliat  station  was  it  ?  " 

"  Gave  de  Ramie  was  on  the  sign.  That  was 
French,  but  I  knew  it  was  the  Eamleh  station.  Don 
bought  the  tickets,  and  we  went  to  Eamleh,  taking 
care  to  keep  out  of  sight  of  Ibrahim.  We  followed 
him  to  a  building  on  which  was  the  sign  '  Pension  Beau 
Sejour,''  if  you  know  what  that  means,  but  I  took  it 
for  a  hotel,  and  we  went  in." 

*^  It  means  a  boarding-house,  and  you  were  not  far 
out  of  the  way." 

"  We  waited  outside  for  a  while  before  we  went  in ; 
and  I  saw  Mr.  Ibrahim  go  up-stairs  with  a  candle  in 
his  hands,  and  I  concluded  that  he  was  going  to  bed. 
The  woman  in  charge  spoke  English,  but  she  looked 
at  us  rather  suspiciously ;  but  I  had  not  been  in  the 
mud  then,  and  I  believed  that  I  looked  respectable, 
and  I  took  the  trouble  to  show  her  that  I  had  plenty 
of  money  in  a  careless  way,  and  she  was  as  polite  as 
a  basket  of  chips  then." 

"Very  polite,  no  doubt,"  said  the  captain  with  a 
smile. 

'•  I  bought  a  couple  of  cigars  for  Don,  for  he  smokes 
and  I  don't ;  and  while  he  was  puffing  at  them,  I  took 
a  seat  by  the  landlady,  and  proceeded  to  pump  her  to 
the  best  of  my  ability,  and  found  out  all  I  wanted  to 
know.  I  won't  take  the  time  to  tell  how  I  worked  it, 
but  I  was  a  polite  as  two  baskets  of  chips,  and  she 
told  me  all  she  knew.  Mr.  Ibrahim  was  a  merchant 
from  Eosetta,  very  rich,  and  had  to  leave  early  the 
next  morniusr  for  his  home.     I  informed  her  that  we 


158  UP  AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

were  going  to  Kosetta,  and  asked  her  to  call  me  in 
season  for  the  train." 

"  Was  there  a  train  from  there  to  Eosetta  ?  "  asked 
Captain  Einggold. 

"Yes,  sir,  but  not  from  the  station  where  we  had 
come  in." 

"  Then  it  has  been  built  since  I  was  here." 

"■I  saw  the  road  on  the  map  in  my  book,  and  it 
runs  along  by  the  seashore  nearly  all  the  way,"  added 
Louis. 

"We  took  a  double-bedded  room,  and  went  to 
Eosetta  early  in  the  morning,  dodging  Ibrahim  all 
the  time.  When  we  got  there  we  saw  him  take  a 
boat  and  go  off  to  a  small  steamer  which  we  identified 
as  the  Fatime.  Don  asked  some  questions  about  her, 
and  we  were  perfectly  satisfied  it  was  she.  It  rained 
hard  in  Eosetta,  and  the  mud  here  is  nothing  to  what 
it  is  there.  I  suppose  the  merchant  from  Eosetta 
went  on  board  to  take  counsel  of  his  employer ;  at 
any  rate,  the  Fatime  is  not  more  than  twenty-five 
miles  from  Alexandria,"  said  Felix  in  conclusion. 

"  You  have  brought  important  information,  Felix, 
and  you  have  done  your  work  well,"  added  the 
captain. 

"  I  have  made  up  my  account,  and  I  will  return  the 
balance  of  the  money  you  gave  me,  sir,"  continued 
the  detective,  as  he  handed  a  paper  to  the  commander, 
and  produced  his  portemonnaie. 

"  The  account  is  all  right,  and  you  may  retain  the 
money,  for  I  may  have  occasion  to  call  on  you  again 


THE  TRANSLATION  OF  THE  ARABIC  LETTER       159 

for  similar  services,"  replied  tlie  captain  as  he  took  a 
letter  from  his  pocket,  "But  I  expect  you  to  keep 
an  account  of  your  expenditures  on  such  duty  and 
report  to  me." 

"Every  farthing  shall  be  accounted  for.  But  we 
did  not  find  out  what  this  heathen  was  driving  at 
when  he  came  on  board  of  the  ship." 

"And  you  don't  even  know  who  or  what  he  is  aside 
from  what  seems  to  be  proved,  that  he  is  an  agent  of 
the  Pacha,"  suggested  Scott,  who  had  not  taken  part  in 
any  of  the  proceedings  in  relation  to  the  Mohammedan 
visitor. 

"  But  we  do  know  who  and  what  he  is,"  replied  the 
commander  with  a  smile ;  and  he  called  upon  Louis 
to  repeat  his  description  of  the  scene  in  the  boudoir 
the  day  before,  whereat  the  listener  was  very  much 
amused. 

"  But  that  is  not  telling  who  or  what  the  fellow  was 
that  could  not  speak  French  till  he  was  afraid  he  was 
going  to  be  shot,"  said  Scott. 

"  Do  you  remember  a  certain  Moor  who  was  kept  a 
prisoner  on  board  the  ship  ?  "  asked  the  commander. 

"  I  ought  to  remember  him,  for  I  lassoed  him  in  the 
water  when  he  was  trying  to  escape  in  the  harbor  of 
Hermopolis,"  replied  Scott. 

"  Ibrahim  Abdelkhalik,  as  he  calls  himself  now,  is 
the  same  person,"  the  captain  announced. 

"Captain  Mazagan!"  exclaimed  Scott,  jumping  out 
of  his  chair.     "  I  don't  believe  it !  " 

"  Perhaps  you  would  not  believe  it   if  he  should 


160  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

come  into  this  room  this  minute/'  said  the  com- 
mander. "  I  could  hardly  admit  to  myself  it  was  he 
when  the  boys  had  identified  him." 

"  Who  identified  him,  I  should  like  to  know  ?  I 
saw  this  visitor  alongside  the  Maud,  and  he  did  not 
look  any  more  like  Captain  Mazagan  than  he  did  like 
me,"  returned  Scott  somewhat  excited. 

Both  Louis  and  Felix  explained  in  what  manner 
and  by  what  marks  they  had  identified  him,  but  the 
captain  of  the  Maud  seemed  to  be  still  sceptical. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  on  this  point,"  said  the  com- 
mander as  he  opened  the  letter  he  had  taken  from  his 
pocket,  which  proved  to  be  the  one  in  Arabic.  "  Now 
ask  John  Donald  to  come  to  my  cabin,  Felix." 

While  the  detective  was  absent  Scott  expressed 
again  his  doubts  in  regard  to  the  identity  of  Ibrahim 
and  Captain  Mazagan.  But  he  admitted  that  he  had 
seen  him  only  as  he  saw  a  score  of  other  Mussulmans 
about  the  ship,  and  had  taken  no  particular  notice  of 
him,  while  the  others  had  carefully  studied  his  form 
and  features  in  the  belief  that  h&  was  the  Moorish 
captain. 

"  He  may  have  been  about  the  same  height,  but  his 
face  as  I  recall  it  was  quite  different,"  said  he. 

"Of  course  he  was  fixed  up  for  this  visit  by  a 
change  of  dress,  and  he  had  done  all  he  could  to  alter 
his  face  and  expression,"  added  Louis. 

"I  have  been  in  Paris  several  times,  and  have 
spent  many  months  there,"  interposed  the  commander. 
"Without  my  experience  in  that  city  I  should  have 


THE  TUANSLATIOX  OF  THE  AKABLC  LETTER      161 

found  it  more  difficult  to  believe  that  our  visitor  was 
Mazagan.  The  detectives  there  have  a  marvellous 
skill  in  disguising  themselves.  I  mean  those  in  the 
employ  of  the  police  department,  and  not  merely 
those  who  figure  in  private  service,  and  are  repre- 
sented on  the  pages  of  the  French  detective  stories  of 
Gaboriau  and  Boisgobey." 

"  I  have  read  some  of  those  books/'  said  Scott. 

"  So  have  I,  though  I  do  not  regard  them  as  very 
profitable  reading,"  continued  the  captain.  "  A  friend 
of  mine  had  occasion  to  employ  one  in  the  public  ser- 
vice after  his  room  had  been  robbed  in  a  house  where 
I  was  also  lodged.  I  saw  the  official  at  the  first  inter- 
view my  friend  had  with  him,  and  he  looked  like  a 
tall  and  rather  spare  man.  He  believed  he  knew  who 
the  thief  was  from  the  character  of  the  work  he  had 
done,  and  the  manner  in  w^hich  he  had  entered  the 
room.  Without  going  into  the  details,  which  were 
more  interesting  than  any  story  I  had  read,  I  saw 
the  detective  a  second  time,  when  it  became  a  rather 
difficult  affair  to  satisfy  my  friend  and  myself  that 
he  was  the  person  employed.  His  complexion  was 
entirely  changed,  he  wore  a  full  black  beard  instead 
of  a  grizzled  mustache  only,  and  he  was  a  large  man 
with  a  corporation.  The  same  night  he  brought  to 
our  rooms  the  watch,  money,  and  valuable  jewellery 
of  my  American  friend,  though  he  took  them  away 
with  him  after  they  had  been  identified,  for  use  at 
the  trial  of  the  robber  whom  he  had  arrested,  and 
who  was  afterwards  convicted." 


162  UP   AND   DOV/N   THE   NILE 

"You  ought  to  tell  that  story  to  Felix,  Captain 
Einggold,  for  he  enjoys  such  stories,"  said  Scott. 

"  ]N"ot  at  present,"  replied  the  commander  as  the 
amateur  detective  entered  the  cabin  followed  by 
Don. 

The  change  in  the  appearance  of  the  engineer  was 
almost  as  great  as  that  which  Mazagan  had  wrought 
in  himself.  He  had  washed  himself  thoroughly, 
trimmed  his  beard,  and  put  on  his  new  clothes.  The 
costume  was  completely  Turkish,  while  the  one  he 
had  worn  on  his  excursion  w^ith  the  Milesian  was  of 
a  mongrel  character.  The  color  was  a  bluish  gray, 
and  he  looked  like  a  Mohammedan  gentleman,  though 
there  was  no  finery  of  any  kind  about  him.  The 
Arabic  letter  was  handed  to  him,  and  he  w^as  asked 
if  he  could  read  it. 

"Without  tlie  least  trouble,  though  I  don't  think 
it  was  -written  by  an  Egyptian,"  replied  Don,  ex- 
plaining somo  peculiarities  about  it. 

"  I  don't  care  who  wrote  it ;  I  only  wash  to  know 
what  it  is  all  about,"  added  the  commander. 

"I  will  write  out  a  translation  of  it,"  suggested  the 
engineer. 

"  Do  so  ;  and  take  a  seat  at  my  desk,"  said  the 
captain,  as  he  rose  from  his  chair,  giving  it  to  Don, 
and  providing  him  with  paper  and  pens. 

The  letter  was  evidently  not  a  scholarly  producticii, 
for  the  engineer  translated  it  very  readily,  and  it  was 
not  supposed  that  he  was  skilled  in  the  language  of 
the  Koran.     In  ten  minutes  he  had  finished  his  work, 


THE  TRA^:SLATION  OF  THE  ARABIC  LETTER      163 

and   handed   the   letter   and   the  translation   to   the 
captain. 

"I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  John  Donald/' 
added  the  commander. 

"  And  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  this  suit 
of  clothes.  I  should  not  have  bought  such  a  rig  out 
of  my  own  money,  sir,"  replied  Don. 

"  I  have  given  it  to  you  because  I  wish  to  employ 
you  while  the  ship  remains  here  as  an  interpreter, 
and  if  you  do  not  object,  you  will  go  with  the  party 
to  Cairo  and  up  the  river ;  and  I  shall  give  you  extra 
wages  for  this  service." 

"Thank  you,  Captain;  I  will  do  the  best  I  can 
wherever  you  put  me  ;  "  and  he  left  the  room. 

The  commander  seated  himself  in  his  chair  again, 
holding  the  letter  in  Arabic  and  the  translation  in  his 
hand.  The  three  young  men  were  very  impatient  to 
know  the  contents  of  the  epistle,  and  they  thought 
the  ca^ptain  was  very  slow  in  his  movements.  After 
he  had  glanced  at  the  Arabic,  he  read  the  English 
version,  as  follows  :  — 

"  Illustrious  Citizen  of  the  Great  Kepl^lic,  — 

"  Your  reputation  and  that  of  the  magnificent  young  nabob 
who  voyages  over  the  world  with  you  has  gone  before  you, 
even  as  the  da'^Ti  precedes  the  rising  of  the  sim,  and  its  bril- 
liancy has  penetrated  the  gloom  of  my  sombre  palace,  where 
I  lie  helpless  on  my  couch,  unable  to  see  any  one  except  my 
doctor  and  nm-se,  or  I  should  open  wide  the  doors  of  my  palace 
to  receive  you  and  the  illustrious  members  of  your  company 
as  my  guests  for  as  long  a  period  as  it  would  be  yoiu  pleasure 


164  UP    AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

to  honor  me  and  my  domain  with  your  illustrious  presence  in 
Cairo. 

"  Sick  and  disabled  as  he  is,  your  humble  supplicant  is 
richer  than  His  Highness  the  Khedive,  and  as  the  radiance  of 
your  illustrious  fame  penetrates  the  shadows  hanging  around 
my  couch,  I  am  moved  by  the  desire  to  serve  you,  and  render 
happy  your  visit  to  Egypt.  By  the  favor  of  Allah  I  am  pos- 
sessed of  a  steamer  on  the  Nile  at  Boulak,  large  enough  to  be 
the  dwelling  place  of  your  illustrious  party  for  three  months, 
which  I  humbly  tender  without  price  for  the  use  of  your  illus- 
trious party  for  as  long  a  time  as  you  will  honor  me  by  using 
it. 

"This  letter  will  introduce  to  you  my  servant,  Ibrahim 
Abdelkhalik,  who  will  be  the  bearer  of  your  reply  to  my  dark- 
ened chamber,  and  he  will  also  be  your  dragoman  for  the 

journey.     Allah  be  with  you. 

Abballah." 


AN  EXCURSION  ABOUT  ALEXANDRIA    1(3. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

AN   EXCURSION    ABOUT    ALEXANDRIA 

"  Bully  for  Abdallah  !  "  exclaimed  Felix,  who  had 
perhaps  been  more  interested  in  the  translation  of  the 
letter  than  any  other  of  the  number  present,  as  the 
commander  finished  the  reading  of  the  epistle,  and 
cast  both  papers  rather  contemptuously  on  his  desk. 

"  This  is  thinner  than  water,"  added  the  reader.  "  I 
am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  inventive  powers  of 
Captain  Mazagan  have  given  out." 

"  But  if  he  had  been  smart  enough  to  send  another 
person  with  the  letter  instead  of  bringing  it  himself, 
the  result  would  have  been  different,"  suggested  Felix. 

"  I  don't  think  it  would,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  If  we  had  not  discovered  the  Fatime  in  the  offing, 
you  might  not  have  suspected  any  mischief,"  argued 
the  detective. 

"But  I  should  not  have  accepted  the  offer  of  an 
unknown  Egyptian  to  furnish  us  with  a  steamer  for  a 
trip  up  the  Nile,"  protested  the  commander.  "  Prob- 
ably if  the  letter  had  had  a  more  scholarly  translator 
than  the  second  engineer  of  the  Maud,  the  missive 
would  have  sounded  a  little  more  Oriental,  and  some 
of   the  repetitions  would  have  been  saved ;  but  we 


166  UP   AKD    DOWN   THE   NILE 

have  the  substance  of  it,  and  it  indicates  a  shallow 
trick  on  the  part  of  Mazagan,  and  we  should  have 
been  simpletons  to  be  taken  in  by  it." 

"  I  suppose  Mazagan  has  gone  on  board  of  the 
Fatime  to  report  the  failure  of  his  plot  to  the  Pacha," 
said  Felix. 

"  I  doubt  if  the  Pacha  is  on  board  of  her/'  replied 
the  commander.  "  I  hardly  believe  he  would  be  cruis- 
ing about  the  Mediterranean  for  months  on  such  a 
mission  as  that  in  which  he  has  been  engaged.  More 
likely  he  has  given  Mazagan  the  use  of  his  steam- 
yacht  to  do  the  business  for  him,  for  he  must  have 
affairs  at  home  which  require  his  attention.  But 
there  is  the  gong  for  lunch,  and  we  will  drop  the  sub- 
ject for  the  present." 

At  two  o'clock  the  Maud  was  ready,  and  the  party 
went  on  board  of  her.  Don  excited  considerable 
attention  in  his  new  costume ;  and  Captain  Einggold 
introduced  him  as  the  interpreter,  for  they  all  knew 
him  as  one  of  the  engineers  of  the  little  steamer. 
But  French  w^as  quite  as  useful  as  Arabic  in  the 
better  parts  of  Alexandria. 

"  You  must  land  at  the  custom-house,"  said  the  offi- 
cial on  board.  "  You  must  give  up  your  passports, 
and  they  will  be  returned  to  you  at  your  consul's 
office,  or  sent  to  Cairo." 

The  commander  had  provided  for  this  formality  by 
announcing  at  lunch  that  the  passports  would  be 
needed.  They  had  been  provided  for  the  entire  party 
before  they  left  New  York,  bound  in  a  blank  book 


AN  EXCURSION   ABOUT   ALEXANDRIA        167 

with  a  morocco  cover,  with  plenty  of  leaves  for  the 
vise.  In  addition  each  book  contained  the  photograph 
of  the  bearer,  pasted  on  the  inside  of  the  cover.  The 
pilot  was  still  on  board  of  the  ship,  and  the  fasts  were 
cast  oif .  A  few  minutes  brought  the  little  steamer  to 
the  walled  enclosure  in  front  of  the  custom-house. 
The  tourists  landed  and  entered  the  building,  and 
their  first  business  was  in  the  passport  office.  These 
documents  were  given  up  ;  but  the  polite  official  said 
they  were  not  necessary,  as  the  port  physician  and 
the  officer  on  board  the  ship  had  fully  explained  that 
the  steamer  was  a  yacht,  and  those  on  board  of  her 
were  a  pleasure  party. 

No  luggage  was  brought  on  shore,  and  there  was 
therefore  none  to  examine,  the  officials  politely  declin- 
ing to  look  into  the  satchels  of  the  ladies.  The 
examination  of  the  baggage  of  those  who  land  is  gen- 
erally quite  minute,  tobacco,  cigars,  diamonds,  and 
weapons,  firearms  especially,  being  the  articles  par- 
ticularly sought  for.  Taking  Don  with  him,  the  com- 
mander left  his  charge  in  the  waiting-room,  and  went 
out  to  look  for  a  suitable  vehicle  for  the  party,  for- 
tunately he  found  a  wagonette  large  enough  for  the 
whole  of  them,  which  seemed  to  be  in  waiting  with  a 
swarm  of  other  vehicles  for  the  arrival  of  a  large 
passenger  steamer  seen  in  the  offing. 

As  soon  as  the  party  came  out  of  the  building,  led 
by  the  captain  and  Mrs.  Belgrave,  they  were  assailed 
by  a  noisy  crov/d  of  drivers  and  donkey  boys,  who 
were  even  more  persistent  than  New  York  hackmen 


168  UP   AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 

of  an  earlier  date  than  the  present,  for  the  latter  have 
greatly  improved  in  manners,  and  perhaps  in  morals. 

"  Mush  durak ! "  shouted  Louis  at  the  boys,  as 
he  conducted  Miss  Blanche  toward  the  wagonette. 
"  Imshi ! " 

"  Do  you  speak  the  language  of  these  people,  Mr. 
Belgrave  ?  "  asked  the  fair  maiden,  astonished  to  hear 
him  address  the  crowd. 

"  Only  a  few  words  which  I  picked  out  of  the  guide- 
book." 

When  the  commander  had  seated  his  lady,  the 
driver  pointed  to  a  place  at  his  side,  and  Louis  handed 
the  young  lady  up  to  it,  and  placed  himself  at  her 
side.  The  rest  of  the  company  seated  themselves 
according  to  their  own  preferences,  and  were  ready 
for  a  start,  when  a  well-dressed  man  in  European  cos- 
tume touched  his  cap  to  Louis,  and  asked  if  a  commis- 
sionaire, or  guide,  was  wanted.  The  owner  referred 
him  to  the  commander. 

"  You  speak  English  very  well,"  replied  he  to  the 
man's  question. 

"I  am  a  Maltese,"  answered  the  guide.  "My 
name  is  Paul  Comino ; "  and  he  passed  a  card  to 
the  inquirer. 

"  What  is  the  price  per  day  for  your  services  ?  " 

"  Seven  francs." 

''  Half  a  day  ?  " 

"  Eive  francs  ;  "  and  he  did  not  seem  to  be  able  to 
divide  seven  into  two  more  equal  parts,  which  is  gen- 
erally the  case  with  these  persons  in  other  cities. 


AN  EXCURSION   ABOUT   ALEXANDRIA        169 

He  was  engaged  without  requiring  a  better  division 
of  tlie  fee,  and  took  his  place  on  the  steps  of  the  car- 
riage, which  was  arranged  like  an  omnibus.  The 
captain  told  him  they  wished  to  visit  the  principal 
sights  of  the  city,  and  left  it  to  him  to  arrange  the 
order  of  his  going.  He  instructed  the  driver,  who 
proceeded  along  the  new  quay,  at  the  head  of  the 
harbor. 

''The  names  of  these  streets  are  all  printed  in 
French  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Blossom,  as  she  looked  over 
the  map  in  the  hands  of  Mrs.  Belgrave,  to  which  those 
who  had  them  had  all  opened.  ''  I  can't  read  a  word 
of  them." 

"I  shall  be  happy  to  translate  for  you,  Madam," 
said  the  professor.  "  This  is  Custom-House  Street ;  " 
and  he  continued  to  announce  the  names  of  streets 
and  buildings  given  in  French,  till  the  carriage  stopped 
at  an  opening  in  the  fortifications,  inside  of  which 
they  had  been  riding  for  some  distance. 

They  passed  through,  it  and  soon  came  to  a  vast 
Arabian  cemetery,  with  its  curious  tombstones  ;  but  as 
they  had  visited  several  of  them  more  imposing  in 
Constantinople,  they  were  not  much  interested  in  it. 
A  little  later  the  driver  stopped  near  a  pillar  in  the 
field,  and  the  party  alighted  at  the  request  of  the 
guide. 

''  This  is  Pompey's  Column,"  added  the  professor, 
translating  from  the  map. 

"  Is  that  what  they  call  it  here  ?  "  asked  the  cap- 
tain. 


170  UP   AND   DO\YN   THE   NILE 

"  It  is ;  and  it  is  put  down  in  French  as  '  Colonne 
Fotnpee.^  " 

The  tourists  walked  to  the  monument,  and  the  guide 
told  all  he  knew  about  it.  It  was  the  only  important 
relic  of  antiquity  left  in  the  city.  It  stands  on  a  hill 
covered  with  rubbish  and  ruins,  and  is  a  single  shaft 
of  red  granite  from  Assouan,  up  the  Nile,  67  feet 
high,  but  the  column  is  increased  to  104  by  the  pedes- 
tal. It  is  nine  feet  in  diameter  at  the  bottom,  and  a 
little  short  of  eight  at  the  top.  It  is  supposed  that 
there  was  originally  a  statue  on  the  cap. 

"  I  suppose  that  is  the  monument  of  General  Pom- 
pey,  who  Avas  murdered  here  when  he  escaped  from 
some  fight  in  Eome,"  said  Mrs.  Blossom  ;  and  Mrs. 
Belgrave  immediately  nudged  her,  intimating  that  she 
had  better  say  nothing. 

''  In  ot  at  all,  madam,"  replied  the  professor.  "  It 
was  erected  by  the  Eoman  prefect  Pompeius,  in  honor 
of  the  Emperor  Diocletian,  called  Hhe  unconquered 
and  the  defender  of  the  city  of  Alexandria,'  as  stated 
in  the  inscription." 

"  I  don't  quite  like  the  name,  for  in  my  school  days 
it  was  called  Pompey's  Pillar,"  said  tiie  commander. 
"There  was  a  piece  in  the  reader  I  used,  the  old 
'  American  First  Class  Book,'  the  best  work  of  that 
kind  that  ever  was  compiled,  about  it,  and  an  interest- 
ing account  of  the  frolic  of  a  party  of  British  sailors 
who  visited  it.  They  took  it  into  their  heads  to  climb 
to  the  top  of  it.  They  flew  a  kite  over  it,  lodging  the 
string  on  the  cap,  by  which  they  hauled  up  a  larger 


AN   EXCUIISION   ABOUT   ALEXANDRIA         171 

line,  and  by  tliis  in  turn  a  rope  large  enough  to  bear 
the  weight  of  their  bodies.  They  all  mounted  to  the 
top,  and  drank  a  bowl  of  punch  there.  That  is  all  I 
can  remember  about  it." 

"  In  the  Mohammedan  cemetery  above  us  stood  the 
Serapeum,"  said  the  guide,  as  he  pointed  to  the  spot, 
when  he  found  a  chance  to  speak.  "  It  contained  the 
Alexandrian  Library,  which  was  burned." 

'^What's  the  Serai^eum  ? "  asked  Uncle  Moses, 
though  he  was  well  versed  in  classic  lore. 

"It  was  a  building  said  to  have  four  hundred 
columns  around  it,"  replied  the  professor,  as  the  guide 
did  not  answer.  "  The  great  library  was  founded  by 
Ptolemy  L,  and  increased  by  his  successors.  It  is 
said  to  have  consisted  of  400,000  volumes  in  the  time 
of  the  next  Ptolemy,  and  afterwards  increased  to 
nearly  or  quite  a  million ;  but  the  figures  are  not  re- 
liable. These  were  not  such  books  as  we  have  now, 
but  were  large  manuscripts  and  parchments  and  rolls. 
In  the  time  of  Julius  Csesar  it  was  destroyed  by  fire ; 
but  it  was  afterAvards  largely  replaced,  and  a  mob  of 
fanatics  nearly  destroyed  it  again. 

"It  was  in  641  that  the  Caliph  Omar  captured 
Alexandria,  and  the  work  of  destroying  the  library 
had  begun  centuries  before;  but  he  completed  the 
destruction.  Perhaps  the  story  told  of  him  is  true, 
for  it  coincides  with  Mohammedan  ideas.  He  de- 
clared that,  if  the  books  were  in  accordance  with  the 
Koran,  they  were  not  needed ;  if  they  were  not,  they 
ought  to  be  burned,  and  he  gave  the  order  to  commit 


172  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

them  to  the  flames.  An  ancient  but  foolish  story 
says  that  the  Arabians  found  books  enough  to  heat 
the  baths  of  the  city  for  six  months.  You  cannot 
believe  all  you  read  or  hear." 

At  the  request  of  the  captain  the  vehicle  descended 
to  the  canal,  Avhich,  after  Sultan  Mahmoud  of  Turkey, 
is  called  the  Mahmudiyeh  Canal.  From  the  vehicle 
the  party  could  see  Lake  Mareotis  beyond  it. 

"That  lake  was  filled  in  former  times  from  the 
Nile  by  means  of  canals  like  the  one  before  us.  The 
water  irrigated  the  land  around  it,  where  vineyards 
were  cultivated,  from  the  fruit  of  which  an  excellent 
white  Avine  was  produced,  celebrated  in  the  classics 
by  Horace  and  Virgil.  Some  wine-presses  hewn  in 
the  rocks  are  still  to  be  found.  This  lake  formed  an 
inland  harbor  in  early  days,  which  brought  a  great 
commerce  to  the  city,  as  did  also  the  other  harbor. 

"This  lake  lies  eight  feet  below  the  sea-level,  and 
much  of  the  fertile  region  around  it  was  also  lower 
than  the  salt  water.  The  water  in  Mareotis  had  be- 
gun to  subside  when  the  English,  besieging  Alexan- 
dria, cut  a  canal  through  from  the  main  harbor,  and 
the  salt  water  flowed  into  it,  inundating  and  destroy-' 
ing  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  villages.  Mohammed 
Ali  did  all  he  could  to  repair  the  damage,  by  bringing 
fresh  water  to  this  locality.  That  for  domestic  and 
other  uses  is  brought  by  this  canal,  filtered  and  dis- 
tributed from  a  point  outside  the  Eosetta  gate." 

"Place   Mohammed  Ali,"   said   the   guide  to  the 
driver. 


AK    EXCUIiSIO^'    ABOUT    ALEXA>'DEIA         173 

The  carriage  passed  through  the  Pompey's  Column 
gate,  and  entered  the  city  within  the  fortifications. 
Turning  to  the  left  the  party  reached  Ibrahim  Street, 
which  was  followed ;  and  the  last  part  of  it  began  to 
look  like  a  European  city.  At  the  end  of  it  they 
came  to  the  square,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  an  eques- 
trian statue  of  him  for  whom  the  locality  is  named. 
The  figure  is  sixteen  feet  high,  standing  on  a  pedestal 
twenty  feet  above  the  ground.  The  place  also  con- 
tains two  fountains,  and  is  beautified  with  trees  and 
plants. 

"What  is  the  population  of  this  city,  guide?" 
asked  the  captain. 

"  It  is  200,000,  one  quarter  of  whom  are  Europeans ; 
it  used  to  have  half  a  million,"  replied  the  man. 

The  wagonette  was  then  driven  through  some  of 
the  principal  streets  in  the  most  densely  populated 
part  of  the  place,  on  the  isthmus  between  the  two 
harbors,  as  far  as  the  governor's  palace.  The  party 
found  enough  that  was  new  and  strange  to  keep  them 
interested.  The  excursion  terminated  with  a  ride  out 
at  the  Eosetta  gate,  by  the  Christian  and  the  Jewish 
cemeteries,  to  the  shore  of  the  eastern  harbor.  They 
looked  with  little  interest  upon  the  ruins  of  the 
palaces,  with  nothing  like  a  building  remaining,  and 
then  crossed  the  city  to  the  landing-place,  where  the 
Maud  was  waiting  for  them. 

At  dinner  the  commander  announced  that  they 
would  proceed  to  Cairo  the  next  day. 


174  UP   AND  DOWN   THE   NILE 


CHAPTER  XIX 

ANOTHER  AGENT  OF  THE  MOORISH  ENEMY 

The  commander  thought  the  party  had  seen  enough 
of  Alexandria,  for  there  is  not  much  there  to  interest 
an  American,  unless  he  is  an  antiquarian,  and  wishes 
to  study  the  ancient  history  of  the  place.  Our  tourists 
had  seen  about  all  the  specimens  of  the  ruins,  which 
were  mostly  detached  blocks  of  stone.  Pompey's 
Pillar  was  really  almost  the  only  monument  of  the 
past,  and  the  guide-books  do  not  recommend  a  stay  of 
more  than  a  single  day  in  the  place. 

''Captain  Einggold,  what  little  I  have  had  to  do 
with  the  money  of  Egypt  has  perplexed  me  not  a 
little,"  said  Mr.  Woolridge.  '^I  have  plenty  of  cir- 
cular notes,  besides  a  letter  of  credit ;  but  I  have  no 
idea  of  the  value  here  of  an  English  pound,  or  a 
French  twenty  franc  piece,  and  I  have  a  supply  of 
both  these  coins  in  gold." 

''Both  are  current  in  Alexandria  and  Cairo;  but 
for  small  amounts  you  will  have  to  use  the  Egyp- 
tian currency,  especially  the  copper,"  replied  the 
captain. 

"I  could  not  make  head  nor  tail  to  the  money  when 
I  looked  it  over  in  the  books,"  added  Lcuis,  who  sat 


ANOTHER  AGP:NT  OF  THE  MOOEISH  ENEMY      175 

opposite  to  the  New  York  magnate.  "  The  '  States- 
man's Year-Book'  gives  one  thing  and  Baedeker 
anotlier." 

"  Doubtless  you  will  find  the  latter  the  more  intel- 
ligible/' replied  the  commander.  "  The  value  of  the 
Egyiitian  unit  varies  at  different  times  and  in  different 
places.     This  unit  is  the  piastre." 

"But  I  bought  another  Baedeker  to-day,"  said 
Louis,  taking  the  book  from  his  pocket.  "This  is 
Upper  Egypt,  and  I  happened  to  open  to  something 
about  the  money,  but  I  have  not  had  time  to  read  it," 
and  he  passed  the  book  to  Cajjtain  Eiuggold. 

"  I  see,"  said  he,  after  he  had  looked  in  the  book 
where  the  owner  had  opened  it  for  him.  "  The  gov- 
ernment of  the  Khedive  has  recently  issued  new  gold 
and  silver  coins,  and  these  are  now  the  only  legal 
currency  all  over  Egypt;  and  this  quite  agrees  with 
the  Year-Book.  The  unit  in  use  still  is  the  piastre. 
The  Egyptian  pound  contains  one  hundred  piastres, 
or  one  thousand  millieme.  According  to  the  United 
States  standard,"  and  the  speaker  consulted  his 
standard  diary,  "the  Egyptian  pound  is  worth  $4,943 
of  our  money.  A  piastre  is  therefore  4.94  cents, 
or  five  cents,  as  nearly  as  you  can  make  it,  and  a 
millieme  is  one-tenth  as  much,  or  half  a  cent." 

"  That  makes  it  plain  enough,"  added  Louis. 

"  But  how  much  is  a  piastre  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Wool- 
ridge. 

"  The  hundredth  of  a  pound,  or  five  cents  of  our 
money,"  replied  the   commander.     "The  gold   coins 


176  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

are  the  pound  and  half-pound ;  the  silver  coins  are  of 
the  value  of  one-fifth,  one-tenth,  and  one-twentieth 
of  a  pound ;  and  all  these  pieces  have  Arabic  names 
which  none  of  us  could  possibly  remember.  There 
are  also,  I  find,  three  nickel  coins,  half  a  piastre,  or 
two  and  a  half  cents,  two  millieme,  or  one  cent,  and 
one  millieme,  or  half  a  cent.  You  will  know  these 
three  last  by  their  size,  I  think." 

"  I  understand  the  whole  thing  perfectly  now.  Cap- 
tain, and  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  lucid 
explanation,"  said  the  New  York  magnate,  who 
seemed  to  be  delighted  that  he  had  solved  the 
mystery. 

"But  there  is  more  of  it,  which  will  be  useful  to 
you  up  the  Nile,"  continued  the  commander.  "  Cop- 
per coins  are  still  in  circulation  up  the  river,  of  the 
value  each  of  half  and  a  quarter  of  a  millieme." 

"  That  is  coming  down  to  a  pretty  fine  point  if  a 
millieme  is  only  half  a  cent,"  laughed  the  New 
Yorker.  "  By  the  way,  Mr.  Belgrave,  what  does 
millieme  mean  ?  " 

"A  thousandth,  sir,"  replied  Louis.  "The  thou- 
sandth of  an  Egyptian  pound." 

"The  half-millieme  piece  is  also  called  the  two-para 
coin,  and  the  quarter  the  para.  The  latter  is  one- 
eighth  of  a  cent,  and  the  former  a  quarter  of  a  cent 
of  our  money.  These  names  come  out  of  the  old 
system,  and  the  copper  is  used  only  by  tourists  for 
bakshish." 

"But  wouldn't  an  American  be  ashamed  to  give 


ANOTHER  AGENT  OE  THE  IViOOUlSH  ENEMY       177 

even  to  a  heathen  a  perquisite  of  the  eighth  of  a 
cent  ?  "  laughed  Mr.  Woolridge. 

'-'  Our  countrymen  are  generally  altogether  too  prod- 
igal in  their  '  tips,'  and  these  infinitesimal  coins  will 
give  them  a  needed  lesson." 

''  The  coat  fits,  and  I  put  it  on,"  added  the  mag- 
nate. 

"  Up  the  Nile  you  ^vill  be  beset  before  and  behind 
and  in  swarms  by  the  people,  and  you  will  have  to 
carry  some  pounds  in  v^eight  of  these  small  copper 
coins  for  them ;  and  you  may  be  even  compelled  to 
use  the  toe  of  your  boot  in  getting  rid  of  them,"  said 
the  captain,  rising  from  the  table.  '•!  will  meet  you 
on  the   upper   deck   to   arrange   for   the   trip  up  to 

Cairo." 

The  commander  took  a  thick  red  book  from  a  case, 
and  went  on  deck,  where  Mr.  Boulong  saluted  him, 
and  said  another  Mohammedan  wished  to  see  him,  and 
was  on  the  forecastle  of  the  Maud.  He  preferred  to 
meet  hun  there,  and  went  over  the  side,  calling  Felix 
and  Louis  to  follow  him. 

The  new  visitor  was  dressed  in  full  Turkish  cos- 
tume, precisely  as  Ibrahim  had  been.  He  was  not  so 
tall  as  Mazagan,  and  his  full  trousers  seemed  to  be 
too  long  for  him.  He  was  as  polite  and  deferential 
as  his  predecessor  had  been. 

''Good-morning,  sir,"  the  captain  began.  "I  am 
exceedingly  busy  this  forenoon,  and  have  little  time 

to  spare." 

"I  dout  speak  ze  English,"  replied  the  stranger. 


178  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"  Here,  John  Donald !  Speak  to  this  person  in 
Arabic/'  called  the  commander  to  the  second  engi- 
neer, who  was  seated  on  the  rail.  "  See  what  he 
wants." 

Don  obeyed  the  order;  but  the  visitor  did  not 
speak  Arabic. 

"  I  am  French,"  he  added  in  that  language. 

"  See  what  he  wants,  Mr.  Belgrave." 

"AVliat  is  your  business  with  Captain  Einggold, 
who  is  very  much  occupied  at  the  present  time  ? " 
asked  Louis. 

"  I  have  a  steamer  at  B^ak,  and  I  learn  that  your 
party  wish  to  go  up  the  Nile.  I  can  furnish  you  with 
the  steamer  and  everything  required  for  the  excur- 
sion," replied  the  stranger. 

"  Then  you  have  gone  into  the  steamboat  business, 
Monsieur  Ulbach,"  said  Louis. 

"  That  is  not  my  name,"  replied  the  man ;  but  he 
was  startled  by  the  remark,  and  was  very  much 
confused. 

"Excuse  me,  but  we  have  met  before.  Your 
trousers  are  too  long  for  you,  and  I  believe  they 
are  the  same  as  those  worn  by  Mazagan  when  he 
visited  the  ship  on  the  same  errand  that  brings  you 
here,"  said  Louis. 

"You  seem  to  have  recovered  from  the  wound  I 
gave  you  in  Zante,  Mr.  Ulbach,  and  to  have  escaped 
from  your  prison,"  interposed  Felix,  who  had  been 
the  first  to  identify  the  French  commissionaire  they 
had  seen  in  Athens.  "  You  spoka  EngMsh  when  we 
met  last,  though  it  v,^as  a  beggarly  English." 


i  )    J   3  3 


"Tumble   iim  into  his  boat,  Donald!"     Page  179. 


, )  J 


■  ••  •  • 
•  •  •  •  • 


fc  ■  (  t  I 


ANOTHER  AGENT  OF  THE  MOORISH  ENEMY   179 

"  This  is  the  detective  employed  by  the  Pacha,  and 
his  agents  here  seem  to  be  ready  for  business  again, 
Captain  Einggold,''  added  Louis. 

"  You  can  return  to  your  steamer  at  Eosetta,  tell 
Mazagan  we  have  our  eyes  open,  and  that  he  had 
better  sail  for  Mogadore  at  once.  Tumble  him  into 
his  boat,  Donald ! "  replied  the  commander,  as  he 
started  on  his  return  to  the  ship. 

Don  took  him  by  the  collar  and  threw  him  over  the 
rail  into  the  boat  b}^  which  he  had  come,  and  Louis 
and  Felix  followed  the  captain.  The  affair  seemed 
almost  like  an  every-day  incident,  and  no  one  was  at 
all  disturbed  by  it.  The  commander  hastened  to  the 
upper  deck  where  the  party  had  already  assembled, 
and  seated  themselves  in  the  armchairs.  He  had 
brought  the  red  book  with  him,  which  appeared  to  be 
"Bradshaw,''  containing  the  railroad  time-tables  for 
the  whole  of  Europe,  as  well  as  for  Algiers  and 
Egypt. 

'^  The  railroad  information  in  Baedeker  is  not  quite 
up  to  date,  and  it  does  not  give  the  time  of  starting. 
The  time  taken  for  the  trip  to  Cairo  has  been  reduced 
to  three  and  a  half  hours,  distance  a  hundred  and 
thirty-one  miles.  We  are  too  late  for  the  morning 
train,  which  leaves  at  nine,"  the  captain  began,  re- 
ferring to  his  book.  "  The  next  is  a  slow  train,  which 
takes  about  eight  hours,  and  we  must  leave  by  the 
express  train  which  goes  at  quarter-past  four,  and 
makes  the  journey  in  three  hours  and  twenty  minutes, 
arriving  at  seven  tliirty-five." 


180  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"That  is  very  fair  time  for  this  country/'  added 
Mr.  Woolridge. 

"I  ani  going  on  shore  this  forenoon  to  engage  a 
steamer  if  I  can  for  a  trip  np  the  Nile.  It  will  not  be 
a  very  large  one,  and  the  less  baggage  we  have  the 
better.  I  do  not  presume  to  dictate  what  the  ladies 
shall  wear,  but  I  will  say  that  they  will  be  subjected 
to  considerable  heat  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  though 
not  above  80°,  while  the  temperature  will  fall  some- 
what in  the  evening,  and  at  sunrise  will  drop  as  low 
as  50°,  or  even  lower.  You  must  be  prepared  for  these 
changes,  for  I  should  be  sorry  to  have  to  work  Dr. 
Hawkes  too  hard  on  the  excursion." 

"  I  have  looked  up  the  maladies  of  the  Nile,  and  I 
think  your  direction  will  cover  the  ground.  I  will  see 
that  proper  medicines  are  at  hand,"  said  the  doctor. 

^'  Chloe  the  stewardess  has  been  up  the  Nile  with 
a  party,  and  she  can  tell  you  better  than  I  can  what 
you  will  need.  For  the  gentlemen,  ordinary  suits 
will  be  enough,  with  a  dress  suit,  for  not  a  little 
visiting  is  done  on  the  river  between  parties  in 
steamers  and  dahabeahs ;  and  we  may  have  to  pre- 
sent ourselves  before  some  distinguished  person, 
native  or  foreign.  What  the  masculines  need  and 
have  not  got  we  will  provide  at  Cairo.  Now  you  will 
need  all  your  time  for  packing,  and  I  will  go  on 
shore,"  the  commander  concluded. 

He.  landed,  and  went  to  the  Place  de  I'Eglise,  the 
office  of  Messrs.  Henry  Gaze  &  Son,  where  he  en- 
gaged the   steamer  Karnac,  of  nineteen  berths.     Of 


ANOTHER  AGENT  OF  THE  MOORISH  ENEMY   181 

them  also  he  procured  the  tickets  for  the  railroad 
journey,  and  a  conductor  would  be  sent  on  board 
in  the  afternoon  to  take  the  entire  charge  of  the 
party.  This  was  raore  than  he  expected  to  obtain, 
though  the  company  had  travelled  in  Europe  on  the 
tickets  of  this  tourist  agency. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Maud  con- 
veyed the  party  and  their  baggage  to  the  shore  by 
the  custom-house.  The  trunks  had  to  be  examined, 
though  rather  as  a  matter  of  form.  Most  of  the 
males,  and  four  seamen  the  captain  had  decided  to 
take  with  him,  had  each  a  revolver  in  his  pocket, 
which  might  have  occasioned  some  trouble,  but  their 
persons  were  not  searched.  The  conductor  declared 
that  the  sailors  were  not  necessary ;  but  the  com- 
mander, keeping  his  own  counsel,  insisted  on  taking 
them.  He  knew  not  what  trap  the  Pacha's  agents 
might  spring  on  him,  and  he  deemed  it  advisable  to 
have  a  body-guard  with  him;  and  he  believed  that 
with  ten  available  fighting  men  he  should  be  ready 
for  any  emergency. 

The  seamen  were  dressed  in  their  best  uniform,  and 
each  had  his  kit,  so  that  they  excited  quite  as  much 
attention  as  the  members  of  the  party.  In  leaving 
the  custom-house  they  found  the  usual  throng  of 
donkey-boys,  carriage-runners,  and  a  multitude  of 
others.  The  conductor  had  provided  two  wagonettes, 
but  it  seemed  to  be  almost  impossible  to  reach  them 
so  persistent  were  the  crowd  each  with  his  own 
specialty. 


182  UP   AISD   DOWN   THE   NILE 

''Clear  a  path  for  us,  Knott,"  said  Captain  Eing- 
gold  to  the  leading  man  of  the  seamen. 

"  Heave  ahead,  my  hearties  ! "  shouted  he,  as  he 
led  the  way  through  the  rabble ;  and  when  they 
were  obstinate,  the  sailors  tossed  them  aside  without 
ceremony. 

Even  the  more  respectable  of  the  throng,  the  hotel 
men  and  those  wishing  to  be  employed  as  dragomans, 
were  not  spared.  The  men  saw  the  party  seated  in 
the  vehicles,  and  then  hung  on  them  where  they 
could  find  places. 

The  party  reached  the  station,  not  far  from  Rosetta 
Street,  where  they  had  been  before.  The  cars  were 
the  same  as  in  England  and  France,  in  compartments. 
Only  first  and  second  class  passengers  were  taken  on 
the  express  trains.  The  fare  was  a  hundred  and 
seventeen  piastres,  first-class,  and  seventy-eight  sec- 
ond, not  quite  six  and  four  dollars.  The  sailors 
lent  a  hand  in  putting  the  baggage,  which  had  come 
by  a  wagon,  into  the  station.  The  conductor  attended 
to  it,  and  in  due  time  the  train  started  The  sailors 
went  second-class,  but  the  best  places  in  the  first-class 
compartment  had  been  engaged  for  the  party  ;  and 
they  all  set  themselves  to  the  business  of  looking  out 
at  the  windows  to  survey  the  strange,  but  not  very 
interesting  scenery.  The  conductor  announced  all 
the  objects  of  note,  and  told  all  that  was  worth  know- 
ing about  the  various  localities. 


WALKS  AMD  TALKS  IN  THE  CITY  OF  CAIIlO      183 


CHAPTER   XX 

"WALKS    AXD    TALKS    IX    THE    CITY    OF    CAIRO 

Ox  one  side  of  the  train  could  be  seen  Lake  Aboiikir, 
and  on  tlie  other  Lake  Mareotis,  which  the  tourists 
had  viewed  before  from  the  shore  of  the  canaL  It 
was  some  distance  from  the  railroad,  but  the  road  was 
washed  by  it  during  the  inundation.  The  sails  of 
the  freight  boats  on  the  canal  were  in  sight,  and  the 
travellers  were  much  interested  in  observing  the  long 
strings  of  loaded  camels  moving  on  the  embankment 
which  confined  the  water  to  its  bed.  They  had  all 
seen  camels  before  at  Algiers,  but  they  were  still  a 
novelty. 

"  This  is  Damanhur,"  said  the  conductor  as  the 
train  made  its  first  stop.  "  It  is  thirty-eight  and  a 
half  miles  from  Alexandria,  and  the  train  has  made 
not  quite  thirty-one  miles  an  hour,  which  is  very 
well  for  Egypt.  Xapoleon  marched  his  army  by  this 
route  in  July,  and  his  men  suffered  severely  from  the 
heat  and  drought.  You  can  see  the  minarets  of  the 
town." 

The  two  compartments  occupied  by  the  tourists  had 
a  connecting  door,  and  when  the  conductor  had  any- 
thing to  say  he  stood  between  the  two,  so  he  could  be 
heard  in  both.     As   the  train  advanced  the  country 


184  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

was  more  highly  cultivated,  more  trees  were  in  sight, 
and  they  looked  with  interest  on  the  tamarisks,  a 
flowering  evergreen.  Cotton  was  cultivated  here. 
When  the  train  stopped  at  a  station  on  the  Eosetta 
branch  of  the  Nile,  the  passengers  got  out  to  stretch 
their  limbs  after  two  hours  of  confinement,  and  some 
visited  the  restaurant,  where  they  found  that  their 
French  money  was  available. 

From  this  point  the  views  from  the  windows  be- 
came even  more  novel  and  interesting,  for  the  train 
follows  the  Eosetta  branch  all  the  rest  of  the  way  to 
Cairo.  Water-wheels  for  the  purpose  of  irrigation 
were  turned  by  what  are  here  called  buffaloes,  don- 
keys, and  more  rarely  by  camels  and  by  steam.  The 
canals,  built  as  in  Holland,  are  flanked  by  dikes  to 
protect  the  land  from  undesired  inundation ;  and  these 
are  the  roads  of  the  region,  in  use  by  processions  of 
camels,  donkeys,  and  people  on  foot. 

Tanta,  within  an  hour  and  a  half  of  Cairo,  contains 
about  sixty  thousand  population,  with  many  fine  look- 
ing buildings,  such  as  mosques  and  an  extensive  palace 
of  the  Khedive,  and  is  noted  for  its  three  annual  fairs. 
It  pays  to  stop  there  if  one  has  time  enough.  The 
mosque  of  the  most  popular  saint  in  Egypt  is  here. 
He  was  born  in  the  twelfth  century  at  Fez,  and  is 
said  to  have  been  a  person  of  great  strength,  which 
causes  him  to  be  invoked  when  great  power  is  needed 
to  save  a  sufferer.  His  tomb  or  catafalque,  covered 
with  embroidered  red  velvet,  is  magnificent,  though 
the  temple  that  contains  it  is  not  yet  finished. 


WALKS   A:sD  talks  in  the  city  Or    CAIIIO       185 

It  is  said  that  two  hundred  thousand  people  visit 
the  fair  held  in  honor  of  the  saint,  and  that  a  million 
head  of  cattle  are  sold  during  its  session.  Pilgrims, 
beggars,  showmen,  dervishes,  and  farmers  mingle.  It 
is  made  a  gay  occasion  at  times.  As  the  train  ap- 
proached its  destination,  views  of  the  mountains 
which  flank  the  Xile  and  a  glance  at  a  pyramid  were 
obtained.  Villas  and  gardens  became  more  numerous, 
and  the  train  stopped  on  time  at  the  Cairo  station. 

The  crowd  about  the  station  were  not  quite  so 
stormy  as  at  Alexandria,  and  the  conductor  handed 
the  party  over  to  the  commissionaire  of  Shepheard's 
Hotel ;  the  sailors  assisted  in  carrying  the  baggage 
because  the  movements  of  the  Egyptians  and  Arabs 
were  too  slow  to  suit  their  ideas  ;  and  the  tourists 
were  conveyed  to  the  hotel  in  omnibuses.  Captain 
Ringgold  had  written  and  obtained  accommodations 
for  one  week  as  soon  as  he  arrived  at  Alexandria,  for 
the  hotels  are  liable  to  be  full  at  Cairo. 

It  was  Friday  when  the  travellers  arrived,  and  this 
is  the  Mohammedan  Sunday.  The  "  Big  Four  ''  were 
anxious  to  take  a  walk,  and  see  what  they  could  of 
the  Oriental  city,  and  they  were  in  the  street  before 
the  rest  of  the  party  had  left  their  rooms.  Of 
course  Don,  in  his  new  clothes,  accompanied  the  ex- 
cursionists, and  was  ready  to  go  with  the  young  men ; 
but  Mr.  Hornbrook,  the  Gaze  conductor,  volunteered 
to  go  with  them,  and  they  accepted  his  services. 

As  they  went  out  of  the  hotel  they  found  it  was 
located  on  the  west  side  of  a  large  square,  handsomely 


186  UP  AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

laid  out,  with  a  pond  in  the  middle  of  it.  There  were 
a  theatre  and  a  restaurant  within  the  grounds,  which 
were  tilled  with  Orientals  and  Europeans. 

"  This  is  the  Place  Ezbekiyeh,"  said  the  guide.  "  It 
was  named  for  Ezbec,  a  general  of  Kait  Bey,  the  last 
of  the  independent  Mameluke  Sultans,  as  they  called 
them  then,  of  Egypt.  He  was  at  war  with  Turkey, 
aiid  Ezbec  beat  the  Turks  and  captured  the  son-in-law 
of  the  Sultan  of  Turkey  and  his  principal  general. 
They  built  a  mosque  in  his  honor  here,  which  does 
not  exist  now,  but  this  square  bears  his  name." 

"  That  is  all  very  well,  Mr.  Hornbrook ;  but  I  don't 
think  we  have  time  to  listen  to  any  long  yarns,  for  it 
is  almost  dinner-time  for  our  party,  and  we  only  want 
to  take  a  look  at  the  streets,"  said  Louis.  "  We  are 
going  up  the  Nile,  and  we  shall  have  a  Conference 
every  day  to  talk  about  Egyptian  things." 

''  What  time  do  you  dine  ?  "  asked  the  guide. 

"  Our  party  has  a  special  dinner  at  half-past 
seven." 

"  Then  you  have  not  much  time.  Will  you  take 
donkeys,  gentlemen?" 

The  four  jumped  at  the  idea,  and  Mr.  Hornbrook 
was  instructed  to  procure  them.  He  shouted  "  ham- 
mar,"  and  about  two  dozen  juvenile  Egyptians  and 
Arabs  presented  themselves,  each  leading  a  diminu- 
tive donkey.  Others  in  the  hands  of  full-grown  men 
also  appeared,  and  all  of  them  were  as  vociferous  as 
though  it  had  been  the  Egyptian  Fourth  of  July,  if 
there  is  any  such  day  in  the  calendar. 


WALKS  A^^D  TALKS  IN  THE  CITY  OF  CAIRO      187 

"  Take  the  bovs  and  not  the  men,  for  they  are  more 
honest  and  better  behaved,"  interposed  the  conductor, 
when  the  Americans  began  to  look  over  the  steeds, 
which  were  not  much  bigger  than  good-sized  dogs. 

They  mounted  the  tiny  beasts,  and  it  seemed  to  the 
riders  more  like  an  immense  frolic  than  sober  sight- 
seeing, which  was  the  business  of  the  tourists.  The 
rest  of  the  donkey-drivers  sought  employment  else- 
where ;  but  the  streets  were  full,  and  the  hve  drivers 
ran  ahead  to  clear  the  way,  shouting  with  all  their 
might  as  though  they  had  a  monopoly  of  the  thorough- 
fares  of  the  ancient  city. 

The  guide  told  the  boys  to  go  into  the  Muski,  one 
of  the  busiest  streets  of   the  place.     It  was  thronged 
with  people  of  all  nations,  but  the  young  Egyptians 
made  an  opening  for  the  procession.    The  crowd  gazed 
at  them,  even  the  Europeans,  to  whom  they  were  no 
novelty,  and  evidently  believed  they  were  on  a  jolly 
lark      But  the  sights  in  the  street  soon  began  to  at- 
tract the  attention  of  the  four,  and  they  opened  upon 
the  guide,  who  rode  the  fifth  donkey,  with  a  volley  of 
questions.     A  man  with  a  box  of  coins  in  his  hands 
was  rattling  them  as  if  to  attract  custom. 

^^^yhat  is  the  matter  with  that  fellow?''  asked 

Scott.  ^  , 

"He  is  a  money-changer,  and  that  is  the  way  he 
makes  his  business  known.  But  you  had  better  not 
change  your  coins  with  him ;  for  there  are  plenty  of 
counterfeit  piastres,  and  he  will  cheat  you  out  of 
your  eve-teeth  if  you  don't  know  the  pieces  well." 


188  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"  There  are  plenty  of  carriages  here,  Mr.  Hornbrook, 
which  I  did  not  expect  to  see." 

"Plenty  of  them,  but  they  are  not  convenient  in 
going  about  the  narrow  streets  of  Cairo.  The  donkeys 
are  better,  and  the  boys  will  make  a  path  for  you 
through  the  crowd.  Some  of  the  carriages  employ  a 
boy  when  needed  for  this  purpose." 

"  What  is  the  price  for  a  carriage  here  ?  " 

"  There  is  a  tariff  of  prices,  but  these  drivers  evade 
it  when  they  can.  The  fare  is  about  the  same  as  it  is 
in  Paris  :  a  franc  to  a  franc  and  a  half  for  a  short 
drive,  and  two  to  three  francs  for  half  an  hour,  and 
twenty  francs  for  a  whole  day." 

"  Why  do  you  say  francs  instead  of  piastres  ?  " 

"  Because  business  with  Europeans  is  about  all  done 
at  the  stores  and  hotels  in  francs,  and  strangers  talk 
in  francs,"  replied  the  conductor,  laughing. 

"  A  piastre  is  five  cents,  we  found  out  this  forenoon 
on  board  of  the  ship,  and  I  suppose  there  are  about 
four  of  them  in  a  franc,"  suggested  Louis. 

"  Very  nearly  ;  four  piastres  and  two  millieme  make 
a  franc." 

"  What  are  they  doing  in  there  ?  "  demanded  Scott, 
stopping  his  donkey  in  front  of  a  shop  with  an  open 
front.  "  Is  that  fellow  with  a  knife  in  his  hand  going 
to  cut  up  the  one  in  front  of  him  ?  " 

"That  is  an  Arabian  barber's  shop,  and  the  man 
with  the  knife,  which  is  a  sort  of  razor,  is  shaving  the 
head  of  the  other,"  replied  the  conductor,  laughing 
heartily.     "  But  they  will  cut  your  hair,  and  charge 


WALKS  AND  TALKS  IN  THE  CITY  OF  CAIRO      189 

you  about  two  and  a  half  francs  for  the  job,  which  is 
robbery." 

^'  The  women  here  are  dressed  just  as  they  were  in 
Constantinople,  and  veil  their  faces  the  same,"  said 
Felix,  as  they  started  again. 

"  They  are  Mohammedans  here,  and  they  follow  the 
fashions  of  that  sect,  which  seems  to  be  no  fashion  at 
all,  for  they  don't  change  the  style  of  their  garments. 
A  young  man  may  wear  his  grandfather's  clothes 
without  being  out  of  fashion,"  added  Louis. 

"  There  is  a  Turkish  beauty,"  said  Felix,  indicating 
a  woman,  veiled  as  closely  as  the  others,  who  was  so 
fat  she  could  hardly  waddle,  though  a  portion  of  her 
rotundity  was  no  doubt  owing  to  the  flowing  robes  she 
wore. 

"  To  be  stout  is  one  of  the  points  of  beauty  with 
Mohammedans,"  said  Morris. 

"  Some  of  these  buildings  are  really  very  fine,"  said 
Louis,  as  they  halted  when  several  camels  obstructed 
the  street.  ^^  I  see  that  about  all  the  houses  have  the 
bay  window  in  the  second  story,  as  they  do  in  Con- 
stantinople." 

"You  have  come  too  late  to  see  the  Dancing  and 
the  Howling  Dervishes  to-day,  for  this  is  Sunday," 
said  the  guide. 

"  I  don't  want  to  see  any  more  of  them,  for  I  had 
enough  of  that  sort  of  thing  in  Constantinople.  But 
it  is  quarter-past  seven,  and  it  is  time  to  go  back  to 
the  hotel,"  said  Louis,  as  he  turned  his  donkey ;  and 
the  drivers  faced  about  and  ran  ahead  again  in  the 


190  UP   AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

opposite  direction.  "  Now  how  mucli  have  we  to 
pay  ?  "  he  asked  as  they  dismounted  at  the  hotel. 

"  One  piastre  for  such  a  short  ride,  and  a  bit  of 
backshish  is  usually  given  to  the  boy/'  replied  the 
conductor. 

"Five  cents!"  exclaimed  Louis.  "That  is  ridicu- 
lous ; "  and  he  gave  each  of  them  a  double  piastre,  a 
silver  coin,  of  which  he  had  obtained  a  supply. 

The  boys  seemed  to  regard  this  sum  as  princely, 
bowed  with  all  their  might,  and  began  to  jabber  about 
something  which  no  one  could  understand  except  the 
guide. 

"  They  want  you  to  engage  them  for  your  next  ex- 
cursion,''  interpreted  the  conductor ;  but  Louis  de- 
clined, and  they  entered  the  hotel. 

It  seemed  to  have  been  already  noised  about  that 
one  of  the  four  boys  in  the  yacht  uniform  of  the 
Maud  was  a  millionaire,  and  the  guests  were  evidently 
trying  to  ascertain  which  he  Avas.  The  manager, 
Herr  Gross,  informed  Louis  that  the  dinner  was 
ready,  calling  him  by  name ;  and  the  mystery  was 
solved. 

The  dinner  was  a  most  excellent  one,  and  it  was 
disposed  of  with  a  complimentary  zest  after  the  long 
afternoon  and  long  journey.  The  commander  an- 
nounced at  the  close  of  the  meal  that  he  had  re- 
quested the  professor  to  give  the  party  something 
of  the  history  of  Cairo  in  preparation  for  the  sight- 
seeing in  which  they  were  to  engage. 

"  I  promise  not  to  be  long  in  doing  so,"  said  the 


^I^^^m^ 


A  Street  Scene  in  Cairo.     Page  190. 


ill       ^  J 
J   J  J .      >    1 


,        J  J    J      J  J  J    J    » 


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t    c    ' 


WALKS  a:nd  talks  in  the  city  of  calko     191 

learned  gentleman,  as  he  rose  from  his  chair,  with  an 
apologetic  tone  and  manner.  *' Egypt,  you  will  re- 
member, was  subdued  by  Cambyses,  the  son  of  Cyrus, 
king  of  Persia,  five  hundred  and  twenty-five  years 
before  the  Christian  era.  The  Babylonians  are  said 
to  have  founded  Old  Cairo,  at  the  most  southern  point 
of  the  town,  and  this  was  the  headquarters  of  one  of 
the  three  Eoman  legions  stationed  here  during  the 
sway  of  Rome ;  a.d.  638  the  place  was  taken  by  the 
Caliph  Omar.  The  victor  started  for  Alexandria,  and 
some  discord  crept  into  his  camp,  threatening  an 
insurrection.  Then  he  concluded  that  the  city  by 
the  sea  was  too  far  from  the  centre  of  his  newly 
acquired  domain  to  be  the  capital.  He  had  left  his 
tent  standing  near  Old  Cairo,  and  he  returned  to  it ; 
and  here  he  began  to  build  a  city.  I  have  not  time 
to  follow  the  history  in  detail  till,  in  1517,  Selim  L, 
Sultan  of  Turkey,  gained  a  victory  here,  and  entered 
Cairo.  But  Tuman  Bey,  the  last  of  the  Mameluke 
Sultans,  gained  possession  of  the  city  very  soon.  In 
turn  he  was  driven  out,  captured,  and  executed  the 
next  day. 

"  Since  that  time  the  city  has  been  merely  a  provin- 
cial capital.  Napoleon  remained  here  with  his  army 
for  several  months.  When  he  went  on  his  Syrian 
expedition  he  left  General  Kleber  in  command ;  and 
he  was  assasinated  in  1800.  The  French  could  not 
hold  their  own  here,  and  were  compelled  to  surrender. 
In  1805  the  Pacha  caused  the  massacre  of  the  Mame- 
lukes,  the   last   scene  of  that  kind  in  Egypt.     The 


192  UP   AISD  DOWN   THE   NILE 

English  name  of  the  city,  as  well  as  the  "French, 
Caire,  comes  from  the  Arabian  word  Kahira,  or 
Masr  el-Kahira.  That  is  all  I  have  time  to  say 
now,"  the  professor  concluded,  and  the  party  left 
the  room. 


SOMETHING    ABOUT   CAIUO   AND   CAiMELS        193 


CHAPTEE  XXI 

SOMETHING   ABOUT    CAIRO    AND    CAMELS 

The  cominaiider  suggested  that  the  professor  had 
made  his  account  of  Cairo  very  brief,  and  there  was 
much  more  that  might  be  profitably  said  of  it,  though 
so  far  as  the  historical  portion  was  concerned,  none  of 
the  party  were  antiquarians  or  archaeologists,  and 
only  the  salient  incidents  were  digestible.  Wlien  the 
company  had  assembled  in  the  private  parlor  pro- 
vided for  them,  as  no  one  cared  to  go  out  in  the  even- 
ing, the  conversation  turned  very  naturally  to  the 
subject  uppermost  in  all  minds. 

The  conductor  was  a  gentleman,  and  he  had  been 
invited  to  dine  with  the  tourists,  and  had  come  with 
them  to  the  parlor.  He  was  a  very  well  informed 
man,  and  his  occupation  had  required  him  to  be 
thoroughly  instructed  in  regard  to  the  history,  man- 
ners, and  customs  of  Egypt ;  and  he  also  conducted 
parties  through  Syria,  Asia  Minor,  and  Turkey  in 
Europe.  In  fact,  he  was  a  walking  guide-book  to  the 
Orient  in  all  its  phases.  But  the  commander  was 
not  disposed  to  have  the  party  listen  to  a  set  dis- 
course from  him,  and  proceeded  to  draw  him  out  by 
questions. 


194  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"  Wliat  is  tlie  population  of  Cairo,  Mr.  Hornbrook  ?  " 
asked  Captain  Ringgold,  as  lie  noted  on  a  card  sug- 
gestions for  other  questions. 

"  It  would  be  impossible  to  tell  exactly  the  popula- 
tion of  Masr  el-Kahira,  as  the  Egyptians  call  it, 
though  they  generally  use  only  Masr,  which  means 
'  the  victorious,'  for  every  nation  has  its  vanity,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Hornbrook  with  a  smile  ;  "  and  judging  by 
some  Americans  I  have  met  here,  America  is  not 
without  it.  That  reminds  me  of  a  story  I  heard  one 
of  them  tell." 

"  Let  us  hear  it,"  puffed  Uncle  Moses,  who  had 
eaten  a  very  hearty  meal. 

"  Probably  it  is  a  '  chestnut '  with  you." 

"  Tell  the  story,"  added  Dr.  Hawkes. 

"  An  American  with  more  than  his  share  of  the 
national  vanity  was  looking  at  Vesuvius  in  a  state  of 
eruption,  and  a  iSTeapolitan  was  speaking  of  the  vol- 
cano as  one  of  the  wonders  of  Italy.  ^It's  a  pretty 
smart  volcano,'  replied  the  American ;  '  but  we've  got 
a  cataract  over  in  our  country  that  would  put  that  fire 
out  in  less  than  two  minutes.' " 

The  anecdote  received  tlie  tribute  of  a  hearty  laugh, 
for  things  American  were  highly  appreciated  at  just 
that  time  by  the  party. 

^'  You  have  larger  cities  in  America  than  Cairo," 
continued  the  conductor. 

"We  don't  know  whether  or  not  we  have  till  you 
tell  us  the  population  of  the  capital  of  Egypt,"  said 
the  commander. 


SOMETHING   ABOUT    CAIRO   AND   CAMELS       195 

"  As  I  was  saying,  it  would  be  impossible  to  tell 
exactly  what  it  is.  One  of  your  census-takers  would 
find  it  difficult  to  make  his  way  into  many  Mohamme- 
dan residences ;  for  strangers  are  not  admitted  to  an 
interview  with  the  lady  of  the  house,  and  those  iu 
charge  do  not  ab.vays  tell  all  they  know  about  the 
domestic  arrangements.  Some  think  such  a  visit 
would  relate  to  taxes,  and  they  are  shy  about  an- 
swering. But  the  population  of  Cairo  is  estimated 
at  400,000 ;  and  I  don't  believe  it  would  fall  below 
that  if  an  accurate  census  could  be  taken." 

"  Then  we  have  seven  cities  that  are  larger,  three 
of  them  having  over  a  million  inhabitants  each," 
added  the  captain. 

"  America  is  a  great  country,"  replied  the  conductor. 

"  I  think  you  must  be  an  Englishman,"  suggested 
the  commander. 

"  No,  sir ;  I  am  a  German,  though  I  have  changed 
my  name  from  Hornbach  to  Hornbrook,  because  peo- 
ple in  England,  where  I  lived  many  years,  would  not 
give  the  Hanoverian  German  pronunciation  to  the 
word,  and  called  me  Hornback,  which  seemed  too 
much  like  a  scarabaeus." 

"Who's  he?"  asked  Scott. 

"  If  you  have  studied  any  hieroglyphics,  you  have 
often  seen  a  beetle  among  the  figures,  which  repre- 
sents the  sacred  scarabaeus  of  the  Egyptians.  Ptah 
is  the  greatest  of  the  gods  of  this  ancient  country, 
and  is  pictured  as  a  beetle,  because  this  god  is  the 
organizing  and  motive  power  of  tlie  universe." 


196  UP  AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

"  What  has  that  to  do  with  a  beetle  ?  "  inquired 
Scott. 

"  The  beetle  here,  and  some  elsewhere,  puts  its  eggs 
in  a  ball  of  mud  which  it  rolls  along  the  ground, 
increasing  its  size  till  it  is  as  big  as  the  bug  itself, 
and  when  it  reaches  a  soft  place  it  buries  it.  This 
work  is  done  by  the  insect  with  its  hind  legs,  backing 
and  kicking  at  the  ball  all  the  time.  The  warmth  of 
the  soil  hatches  the  egg,  and  the  beetle  is  born,  organ- 
ized, and  put  in  motion.  From  this  peculiar  opera- 
tion the  creation  of  the  world  and  all  that  therein  is 
has  been  symbolized  by  the  beetle,  or  scarabseus, 
which  is  the  learned  name  for  it.  The  Arabian  name 
is  khepera,  which  you  will  please  to  remember," 
said  Mr.  Hornbrook,  with  a  suggestive  smile. 

"  Very  good,  sir ;  and  you  had  a  very  good  reason 
for  translating  the  last  part  of  your  name  into  English 
in  England,"  added  Captain  Ringgold.  "I  suppose 
you  have  all  noticed  that  Egypt  is  in  the  same  lati- 
tude as  the  northern  part  of  Florida  and  the  southern 
part  of  Louisiana." 

"  I  had  not  noticed  it,"  said  Mrs.  Blossom. 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  Sarah !  "  whispered  Mrs.  Bel- 
grave  in  her  ear. 

"  Then  you  had  better  consult  your  atlas.  The 
longitude  is  about  the  same  as  Asia  Minor  and  the 
Avestern  part  of  Eussia,"  continued  the  commander. 
"1  suppose  Cairo  has  a  mayor  and  aldermen  like 
other  cities,"  he  added  facetiously. 

"  Hardly  ;  but  it  has  a  governor,  for  it  is  the  resi- 


SOMETHING    ABOUT    CAIllO   AND    CAMKLS        197 

dence  of  the  Khedive  and  his  ministers.  It  is  the 
largest  cit}'  in  Africa,  or  in  the  Arabian  countries  of 
the  world.  Of  the  400,000  population  of  the  city, 
something  like  21,000  are  Europeans,"  replied  Mr. 
Hornbrook. 

"  As  many  as  that  ?  "Which  country  has  the  most 
here  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  Italy ;  and  there  are  7,000  Italians  here.  The 
Greeks  come  next  with  4,200,  and  there  are  4,000 
French  people  here,  while  the  English  have  1,600. 
The  police  of  the  city  consists  of  three  hundred  men 
under  a  proper  officer.  They  are  a  very  efficient 
body,  and  some  of  them  are  Europeans,  mainly  Ital- 
ians ;  and  you  may  go  to  the  worst  places  you  can 
find  in  Cairo  without  danger." 

"  How  do  carriages,  of  which  I  see  there  are  a 
plenty,  get  about  in  these  narrow  and  crowded 
streets  ?  "  asked  Dr.  Hawkes. 

"  They  don't  get  about  much  except  in  the  wider 
streets,"  replied  the  conductor.  "  When  they  attempt 
it  they  have  runners  to  clear  a  path  for  them.  The 
best  way  to  go  about  here  is  with  the  donkeys,  of 
which  you  will  always  find  a  great  number  about  the 
Ezbekiyeh,  which  is  the  court  end  of  the  town !  They 
are  better  than  we  see  in  Europe." 

"  But  they  are  very  small,"  said  Louis,  glancing  at 
Uncle  Moses  and  the  doctor,  who  were  nudging  each 
other  and  jarring  their  ponderous  bodies  with  half- 
suppressed  chuckles. 

"  Very  well  put,  Mr.  Belgrave,"  laughed  Dr.  Hawkes. 


198  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"Do  you  thiiik  the  donkeys  would  fit  my  case,  Mr. 
Scarabseus  ?  " 

"  You  don't  weigh  over  three  hundred,  and  some  of 
them  will  carry  that,"  answered  the  guide,  amused  at 
the  name  ajjplied  to  him,  but  taking  it  in  good  part. 
"  There  is  some  difference  in  the  size  of  them." 

"As  there  is  in  the  size  of  men.  Perhaps  I  shall 
experiment  with  a  good-sized  donkey ;  but  I  weigh 
only  about  two  hundred  and  a  quarter." 

"  I  will  agree  to  find  a  donkey  that  will  carry  both 
you  and  the  gentleman  who  sits  next  to  you." 

"  I  am  afraid  the  ^  last  needle  would  break  the 
camel's  back,'  "  chuckled  Uncle  Moses. 

"You  are  a  good-sized  needle  Uncle  Moses,"  sug- 
gested Louis. 

"  That's  a  hint,  my  boy.  What  is  the  reason  the 
twins  cannot  be  provided  with  camels  for  their 
steeds,"  added  the  squire,  as  he  was  sometimes 
called. 

"  I  doubt  if  you  would  like  your  steed,"  said  Mr. 
Hornbrook.  "There  may  be  lots  of  poetry  in  a 
camel  to  you  Occidentals  ;  but  when  you  come  down  to 
the  hard  pan  of  fact  on  the  back  of  one  of  them,  you 
will  think  you  are  riding  in  a  tip-cart  over  a  corduroy 
road  —  I  have  been  in  America." 

"  In  Brazil  or  Peru,  I  suppose  you  mean,"  said  the 
commander  gravely- 

"  I  mean  the  States." 

"  That  is  better,  and  we  can  understand  you.  I 
was  about  to  say  before,  when  I  suggested  that  you 


SOMETIUIn'^G    about    CAIIIO    AlTD   CAMELS       190 

must  be  an  Englishman  because  you  called  our  coun- 
try 'America/  that  Patagonia  and  Terra  del  Fuego 
were  included  in  that  grand  division  of  the  world, 
and  I  think  it  is  necessary  to  be  a  little  more  definite. 
However,  '  the  States  '  will  do  very  well,  for  not  even 
the  Dominion  of  Canada  can  be  included  in  this  state- 
ment. In  England  most  people  mean  the  United 
States  when  they  speak  of  America.  You  were 
speaking  of  camels,  Mr.  Hornbrook.'' 

"I  stand  corrected,  Captain  Einggold.  There  are 
two  kinds  of  camels,  that  with  one  hump,  and  the  one 
with  two.  We  call  the  first  a  dromedary,  though  that 
word  is  not  used  here.  He  is  called  a  he(/in  in  Egypt, 
and  one  that  ca^rries  freight  across  the  desert  is  the 
gemel.  We  have  only  the  former  here.  Those  to  be 
ridden  have  to  be  properly  trained  for  this  use,  and 
even  tlien  one  has  to  get  accustomed  to  the  gait  of 
the  animal  before  he  can  stand  much  of  it.  The 
camel  saddle  is  a  wooden  frame,  from  which  projects 
in  front  and  behind  two  sticks  called  crutches.  A 
leather  cushion  is  placed  on  the  frame,  and  the  com- 
fort of  the  rider  is  increased  by  the  skilful  placing  on 
the  frame  and  crutches  of  a  number  of  rugs." 

"Do  we  straddle  the  beast?  "  asked  Uncle  Moses. 
"  My  legs  are  short." 

"  You  do  not.  You  put  your  leg  over  the  forward 
crutch,  just  as  a  lady  does  on  a  side-saddle.  Then 
the  heel  of  the  right  foot  rest  on  the  instep  of  the 
left.  You  have  to  get  used  to  it,  and  you  soon  learn 
to  better  your  position.     A  sort  of  hovrdah  may  be 


200  UP  AND   DOWN  THE   NILE 

used  on  the  back  of  a  camel,  as  on  elephants  in 
India.'^ 

"  We  shall  try  the  howdah  on  the  elephant  in 
India,"  said  Scott. 

^'  For  a  beginner  it  is  not  easy  to  mount  a  camel  at 
best ;  and  the  animal  has  a  trick  of  rising  while  you 
are  getting  on,  which  the  driver  prevents  by  putting 
his  foot  on  the  fore  legs." 

"  Do  you  ride  him  lying  down  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Blos- 
som, who  was  promptly  checked  by  her  friend. 

"  I  supposed  you  all  knew  that  the  camel  is  made 
to  kneel  when  he  takes  on  a  burden,  either  human  or 
goods,"  continued  the  conductor,  laughing  ;  and  prob- 
ably every  one  did  know  except  the  inquirer,  wliose 
reading  had  been  chiefly  confined  to  the  Bible,  ser- 
mons, and  the  newspaper.  "  The  first  movement  of 
'  the  ship  of  the  desert '  is  rather  violent  in  rising,  as 
though  it  required  a  struggle,  and  the  intending  rider 
must  hold  on  with  might  and  main  at  the  crutches,  or 
he  will  certainly  be  upset." 

"I  have  lost  some  of  my  desire  to  ride  a  drome- 
dary, though  Napoleon  did  it  before  me,"  chuckled 
the  doctor. 

"  The  camel,  to  speak  nautically,  gets  up  stern  first, 
and  when  he  elevates  the  after  part  of  his  body  on 
his  hind  legs,  the  rider  must  lean  forward  to  counter- 
act the  motion,  and  back  w^hen  he  straightens  his 
fore  legs." 

"  Do  you  mount  on  the  starboard  or  the  port  side  ?  " 
asked  Scott  gravely. 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   CAIPwO   AND   CAMELS 


201 


"  On  the  port,  just  as  you  do  a  horse." 

"  Tlien  keep  your  weatlier  eye  open  tight,"  added 
the  captain  of  the  Maud. 

"Yes,  if  you  don't  wish  to  be  thrown  overboard. 
When  you  get  used  to  it,  the  walking  motion  is  pleas- 
ant, and  some  even  prefer  a  camel  to  a  horse,  though 
I  am  not  one  of  that  number.  But  if  you  crack  on 
more  sail,  and  make  the  beast  trot  or  gallop,  you  will 
wish  you  were  somewhere  else." 

"  This  is  the  first  hotel  we  have  visited  in  Egypt, 
and  I  have  not  yet  arranged  with  the  manager  about 
prices,"  said  the  commander.     "What  are  the  rates 

here?" 

"This  and  the  New  Hotel  are  the  best  in  Cairo, 
and  the  prices  are  high.  At  the  Hotel  d'Orient  and 
d'Angleterre,  they  are  more  moderate;  and  the  fare 
is  good  enough  for  ordinary  tourists,''  replied  Mr. 
Hornbrook.  "As  in  America  — I  beg  pardon,  in  the 
United  States  — the  charge  is  generally  by  the  day, 
from  three  to  five  dollars  in  your  money,  for  all  items 
except  wines." 

"  We  don't  use  any,"  added  the  captain. 
"  The  hotels  in  the  East,  as  a  rule,  are  not  on  what 
you  call  the  European  plan  in  the  States.  There  is 
no  extra  for  attendance  as  in  London  and  Paris ;  but 
it  is  the  custom  to  tip  your  waiter  with  two  or  three 
francs  a  week,  and  his  assistant,  a  native,  with  a  franc 
and  a  half.  The  porter  will  take  two  francs  a  week 
without  scowling,  and  all  of  them  will  accept  as  much 
more  as  you  please  to  give  them  without  feeling  in- 


202  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

suited.  You  call  your  waiter  by  clapping  your  hands ; 
and  if  this  does  not  satisfy  you,  and  you  feel  that  you 
ought  to  say  something  to  a  native,  just  call  out  '  Ya 
weled,'  '  Come  here,  waiter.' " 

"  I  think  that  will  do  for  this  evening,  though  we 
might  talk  about  camels  all  night  and  be  interested," 
said  the  commander,  rising  from  his  chair. 


A  DONKEY  AND  CAliUlAGE   KIDE  IN  CAlitO      203 


CHAPTER  XXII 

A   DONKEY    AND    CARRIAGE    RIDE    IN    CAIRO 

Before  breakfast  the  "  Big  Four  "  were  on  their 
feet,  and  renewed  their  wanderings  in  the  streets  of 
Cairo.     They  had  been  about  Mogadore,  Algiers,  and 
Constantinople,  and  the  character  of  the  sights  was 
not  new  to  them,  though  there  was  much  still  that 
was  new  and  strange  to  them.     The  middling  and  the 
poorer  classes  of  the  people  were  out  at  this  early 
hour.     Their  first  walk  was  around  the  Esbekiyeh, 
which  is  a  parallelogram  with  the  four  corners  cut  off, 
less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length,  very  hand- 
somely laid  out  with  walks,  trees,  and  flowers. 
•     "  This  isn't  bad,"  said  Scott.     "  Did  you  bring  your 
guide-book  with  you,  Louis  ?  " 

"  I  did  not ;  but  I  have  a  map  of  this  locality  near 
the  hotel  in  my  head,"  replied  Louis.  '-  That  is  the 
Opera  House  on  the  right,  and  the  square  in  front  of 
it  takes  its  name." 

"Twig  that  woman  carrying  a  baby!"  added  the 
captain  of  the  Maud.  "  She  takes  it  on  her  shoulders 
pigback,  with  the  infant  leaning  over  her  head.  There 
is  another  toting  the  youngster  on  her  hips." 


204  UP   AND    DOWN    THE   NILE 

"  The  babies  don't  wear  any  more  clothes  than  they 
did  in  Santiago  de  Cuba,  where  it  was  fun  to  see  the 
boys  and  girls  trying  to  handle  them,"  added  Felix. 

"  Everybody  in  the  streets  seems  to  have  something 
to  say/'  said  Morris ;  "  for  about  all  the  men  we  can 
see  are  yelling.  I  suppose  they  have  something  to 
sell.  There  is  a  fellow  with  a  bag  of  something  on 
his  back." 

"  He  is  a  sakka/^  replied  Louis  gravely. 

"  He  looks  exactly  like  one,  even  to  the  end  of  his 
nose,"  added  Felix,  who  had  not  the  remotest  idea  of 
the  meaning  of  the  word. 

"  You  remember  how  they  transport  wine  in  Spain  ?  " 
continued  Louis. 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  they  pour  it  right  on  the  back  of  a 
donkey,  and  take  it  all  over  the  country." 

"  Correct  so  far  as  the  donkey  is  concerned,  Flix ; 
but  they  first  put  the  wine  into  bags  "  — 

"  And  what  better  is  that  than  pouring  it  on  the 
back  of  the  donkey  ?  "  interrupted  the  Milesian. 
"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  here  in  this  great  city  of 
Cairo  that  a  meal-bag  will  hold  wine  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  say  a  meal-bag,  for  the  sacks  in  Spain 
were  goat-skins ;  and  that  is  just  the  kind  that  fellow 
yonder  has  on  his  back.  They  sew  them  up  so  tight 
in  Spain  and  here  that  they  will  hold  water." 

"  So  will  your  story,  now  you  have  explained  what 
you  mean.  But  what's  the  use  of  a  water-carrier  here 
like  that,  when  they  have  water  from  the  Nile  all  over 
the  city.     I  see  that  some  of  the  houses  have  brass 


A  DONKEY  AND  CAEBIAGE  RIDE  IN  CAIRO      205 

pipes  in  front  of  them,  where  the  passers-by  can  take 

a  drink." 

«  But  you  don't  see  any  bar-rooms,  for  the  Moham- 
medans don't  drink  whiskey  or  wine." 

"  But  I  saw  twenty  cafes  in  our  tramp  last  evening." 
"  They  drink  coffee  and  smoke  the  chibouk,  or  water- 
pipe,  just  as  we  saw  them  doing  in  Gallipoli  when  we 
visited  one.     They  sell  beer  at  ten  cents  a  glass ;  but 
I  fancy  their  trade  in  this   article   is   mostly  with 

foreigners." 

"  There  is  a  woman  with  a  fruit  and  vegetable 
stand,"  said  Morris,  when  they  had  reached  the  oppo- 
site end  of  the  square.  "  She  looks  as  though  she  had 
a  fish-net  hanging  down  from  the  end  of  her  nose." 

''  That  is  a  kind  of  veil,  tied  around  the  back  of  her 

head,  which  conceals  all  her  face  below  the  eyes.     She 

has  oranges,  lemons,  lupins,  lentils,  and  such  things." 

^'You  might  as  well  talk  Arabic,  darling,  as  to  speak 

of  lupins  and  lentils,"  added  Felix. 

"  You  have  read  your  Bible  enough  to  know  that 
Esau  sold  his  birthright,  and  the  consideration  was  in 
part  this  very  vegetable  you  see  on  that  table  :  'Then 
Jacob  gave  Esau  bread  and  pottage  of  lentiles.'  " 

"Mrs.  Blossom  ought  to  be  here  to  hear  you  quote 
Scripture,  Louis.  How  do  you  happen  to  know  any- 
thing about  these  things  any  more  than  I  do  ?  " 

'' Because  I  read  them  up  last  night  after  I  went  to 
my  room ;  and  I  looked  up  lentils  on  board  of  the 
ship,"  replied  the  young  millionaire.  "  Lentils  belong 
to  the  pea  family,  and  are  largely  used  for  food  in 


206  UP   AND   DOV\^N    THE   NILE 

Egypt  and  Syria,  as  well  as  in  some  countries  in 
Europe,  where  they  will  grow.  Pottage  is  a  sort  of 
porridge  made  of  lentils  here  as  it  is  of  various  grains 
elsewhere.  In  a  word,  lentils  are  a  sort  of  bean ;  and 
the  climate  is  too  moist  to  raise  them  at  home.  Lupins 
are  found  with  us  cultivated  as  a  pretty  flower.  Here 
and  in  Italy  the  seed  is  used  for  food,  though  they  ai  e 
rather  bitter." 

"  You  must  tell  grandma  about  this,"  laughed 
Eelix. 

'^  You  should  not  tease  the  good  lady,  for  she  is  one 
of  the  best  women  in  the  world,  though  not  a  graduate 
of  Vassar  College.  There  is  the  Exchange  and  the 
two  hotels  the  conductor  spoke  about  last  night ;  and 
everything  of  any  consequence  seems  to  be  on  the 
Ezbekiyeh,"  said  Louis,  as  they  continued  on  their 
way  back  to  the  hotel. 

Breakfast  was  disposed  of,  and  the  question  of  the 
business  of  the  day  came  up.  The  conductor  was 
asked  what  he  had  to  propose.  He  replied  that  if  he 
had  to  show  them  Cairo  in  one  week,  it  was  necessary 
to  be  industrious. 

"  But  we  are  not  antiquarians,  unless  the  doctor  and 
Uncle  Moses  have  a  touch  of  the  malady;  and  we 
don't  msh  to  dig  into  every  hole  and  corner.  We 
wish  to  get  a  general  view  of  the  city,  and  a  closer 
view  of  its  specialties.  We  have  all  been  in  several 
Oriental  cities,  and  everything  here  is  not  entirely 
new  to  us,"  replied  Captain  Einggold. 

*^Then^I  think  you  will  need  about  four  carriages. 


i\55V\"^. 


"He  lifted  them  clear  off  the  ground."     Page  207. 


t  >  i  >  1 


A  DO^'KLY  A:SD  CAllKIAGl::  liiDE  IN  CAIlIO       207 

and  we  will  ride  about  in  such  parts  of  the  place  as 
we  can  get  along  with  the  vehicles,  and  take  in  the 
other  places  on  foot  or  on  donkeys,"  replied  Mr.  Horn- 
brook. 

"  Then  you  will  go  with  us,  Mr.  Belgrave  ?  "  asked 
Miss  Blanche,  who  sat  next  to  Louis.  "  You  seem  to 
know  all  about  everything,  and  understand  whatever 
you  see." 

"I  shall  be  most  happy  to  be  with  your  family," 
replied  Louis. 

"But  we  don't  want  any  carriages,"  interposed 
Scott.  "  The  donkeys  are  what  we  depend  upon  for 
our  locomotion." 

The  conductor's  plan  was  adopted  in  part,  and  three 
carriages  were  ordered.  In  the  first  were  the  com- 
mander, Mrs.  Belgrave  (of  course),  and  Mrs.  Blossom. 
In  the  second  were  the  doctor,  the  lawyer,  and  the 
professor.  The  last  contained  the  Woolridges  and 
Louis.  Then  Mr.  Hornbrook  shouted  "Hammar!" 
and  a  dozen  donkeys  instantly  appeared. 

"  We  want  four  of  them,  for  Don  John  will  go  with 
us  to  manage  the  gibberish,"  said  Scott. 

The  conductor  selected  the  animals  very  carefully, 
taking  those  in  charge  of  boys  for  the  reason  he  had 
given  before.  The  commander,  who  was  looking  on, 
was  greatly  amused  at  the  little  beasts  ;  and  before  the 
boys  mounted,  he  stepped  between  a  couple  of  them, 
and,  stooping  down,  passed  one  of  his  arms  around 
each  of  them.  Then  he  lifted  them  clear  off  the 
ground;  and  walked  off  to  the  carriages  with  a  donkey 


208  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

under  each  arm.  But  he  brought  them  back  again,  to 
the  great  comfort  of  the  boys  in  charge  of  them. 

This  scene  called  out  a  tremendous  flood  of  applause 
on  the  part  of  the  party  and  the  spectators  in  front  of 
the  hotel.  Not  every  man  could  have  achieved  this 
feat ;  but  the  captain  was  a  very  powerful  individual. 
The  four  sailors  belonging  to  the  ship  were  standing 
near;  they  roared  with  laughter,  and  then  broke  out 
in  three  cheers,  in  which  the  boys  and  some  of  the 
bystanders  joined.  The  commander  wore  a  grave  face 
all  the  time,  though  he  had  sacrificed  his  dignity  in  a 
degree  for  the  amusement  of  the  party. 

The  conductor  mounted  the  box  with  the  driver  of 
the  first  carriage,  in  order  to  direct  him.  The  proces- 
sion had  hardly  started  before  the  four  donkeys  gal- 
loped up  abreast  of  them,  the  riders  shouting  like 
madmen,  and  the  boj^s  following  at  a  dead  run,  yelling 
at  their  beasts  to  keep  up  the  pace.  The  ladies  waved 
their  handkerchiefs  at  them,  and  the  gentlemen  their 
hats,  the  commander  joining  the  others.  Everybody 
seemed  determined  to  have  a  "  good  time,"  and  gravity 
was  at  a  discount.  The  people  of  all  nations  stopped 
to  gaze  at  the  spectacle,  and  saluted  the  frolicsome 
party. 

The  carriage  turned  in  at  a  street  south  of  the 
Opera  House,  the  conductor  pointing  out  the  French 
Theatre,  the  police-office,  adding  that  the  place  where 
criminals  were  executed  was  in  the  eastern  section  of 
the  city,  and  that  they  were  turning  into  the  Boulevard 
Abdul  Aziz. 


A  DONKEY  AND  CATIEIAGE  PvIDE  IN  CAIRO      209 

^'  As  was,"'  replied  Captain  Einggold.  "  I  was  in 
Constantinople  while  he  was  Snltan  of  Turkey ;  and 
he  abdicated  a  few  years  later,  and  came  to  a  bad  end. 
It  was  believed  that  he  was  murdered  or  committed 
suicide.  I  saw  the  gentleman  one  day,  and  thought 
he  was  quite  a  good-looking  man." 

"I  suppose  you  have  noticed  the  houses  of  the 
magnates  of  Cairo,"  said  Mr.  Hornbrook,  whose  seat 
in  front  permitted  him  to  converse  with  the  occupants 
of  the  carriage.  "  They  are  all  surrounded  by  high 
walls,  so  that  only  the  tops  of  the  houses  can  be  seen 
from  the  streets.  But  the  buildings  are  not  so  high 
as  you  make  them  in  New  York  and  Chicago.  Now 
we  are  coming  to  the  palace  of  the  Khedive,  or,  rather, 
to  one  of  them,  for  he  has  several,  though  this  is  the 
principal  one,  called  the  Palais  Abidin." 

"  What  sort  of  a  man  is  the  young  Khedive  ? " 
asked  the  commander, 

"  People  who  ought  to  know  more  about  him  than  I 
do  say  he  is  affected  by  what  you  call  '  the  big  head ' 
in  the  States.  You  may  meet  him  about  the  streets 
or  elsewhere.  If  you  do,  you  must  take  off  your  hat, 
and  bow  quite  low,  for  he  takes  offence,  they  say, 
when  he  is  not  saluted  in  the  most  deferential  man- 
ner. The  domestic  arrangements  of  a  ]\Iohammedan 
family,  especially  the  harem,  require  these  high  walls  ; 
and,  besides,  they  are  very  exclusive.  You  have  seen 
all  you  can  of  it.  The  palace  of  Ali  Pacha,  his 
brother,  is  next  to  that  of  the  Khedive,  but  with  a 
street  between  them. 


210  UP   AND   DOVv^N   THE   NILE 

''  Now  we  will  turn  into  the  Boulevard  Sheik  Rihan. 
On  the  right  is  the  palace  of  Bey  Mabdul,  who  is  the 
public  officer  in  charge  of  the  mosques;  and  it  is 
walled  in  like  the  others.  I  could  point  out  the  resi- 
dences of  more  of  the  grandees  ;  but  it  would  be  the 
same   old   story  ;    you  would   learn  nothing  but  the 

name." 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself  to  do  it,  for  there  is  noth- 
ing in  a  name  in  Arabic  to  us/'  added  Captain  Ring- 
gold. 

^^  This  is  the  city  canal,"  said  Mr.  Hornbrook,  when 
they  came  to  a  bridge.  "  The  old  water-works  which 
supplied  the  citadel  are  at  the  south  end  of  this  canal, 
where  it  takes  its  water  from  the  arm  of  the  Nile  be- 
tween the  island  of  Eoda  and  the  main  shore.  The 
new  water-works  are  in  a  northern  suburb  of  the  city. 
They  include  two  towers  with  iron  basins,  into  which 
the  water  is  pumped  by  two  engines.  Part  of  the  sup- 
ply is  passed  through  immense  filters,  and  the  city  is 
furnished  with  the  quantity  needed  through  two  sets 
of  pipes,  one  distributing  filtered  water  for  domestic 
use,  forcing  it  to  a  height  of  eighty  feet,  and  the  other 
with  unfiltered,  for  sprinkling  streets  and  similar  uses, 
and  it  is  forced  up  only  thirty  feet.  Now  we  come  to 
the  Boulevard  Mohammed  Ali,  one  of  the  principal 
avenues  of  the  city." 

After  a  ride  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  more  the  car- 
riages came  to  the  Place  Sultan  Hasan ;  and  in  this 
square  the  carriages  stopped  in  front  of  a  mosque. 
The  donkey-riders  rode  up  to  the  carriages,  and  re- 


A  DONKEY  AND  CARRIAGE  RIDE  IN  CAIRO      211 

ported  that  they  had  seen  everything  there  was  to  be 
seen,  which  was  not  much.  Don  knew  something 
about  the  city,  and  he  translated  what  the  donkey- 
boys  said  about  palaces  and  other  sights.  The  party 
got  out  of  the  vehicles,  and  the  equestrians  dis- 
mounted. 

<^  This  is  the  Garni  Sultan.  Hasan,"  said  Mr.  Horn- 
brook,  when  the  tourists  had  gathered  around  him. 

"  What's  a  Garni  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Belgrave. 

"  It  is  a  name  given  to  the  mosques,  and  this  was 
erected  in  honor  of  the  ruler  whose  name  it  bears. 
He  was  dethroned  and  assassinated  in  1361." 

"  Let  him  rest,  then,  if  he  has  been  dead  as  long  as 
that"  interposed  the  captain,  '-for  the  accounts  of 
these  Sultans  were  about  all  of  a  color." 

"As  you  please,  Mr.  Commander,"  laughed  the 
conductor."  "  This  is  the  '  superb  mosque,'  for  it  is 
considered  the  finest  existing  monument  of  Arabian 
architecture.  The  lofty  building,  you  observe,  has 
six  windows,  one  above  the  other,  but  not  along  the 
whole  front.  This  is  the  only  mosque  I  shall  ask  you 
to  enter,  unless  you  wish  to  see  the  interior  of  others ; 
and  we  will  now  go  in." 

The  main  entrance  was  on  the  boulevard  by  which 
they  had  come,  though  the  Sultan  had  a  separate  door. 
In  the  vestibule  they  were  admonished  to  take  off 
their  shoes,  though  the  ladies  compromised  by  putting 
over  their  boots  the  slippers  which  were  to  be  had 
for  a  consideration. 


212  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE    CITADEL    AND    THE    TOMBS    OF    THE    KHALIFS 

The  straw  slippers  which  an  attendant  brought 
looked  too  small  for  the  gentlemen,  and  they  had  be- 
gun to  take  their  boots  off  when  another  attendant 
brought  some  of  larger  size,  and  replacing  their  foot- 
wear, they  put  them  on  outside.  They  had  been 
obliged  to  comply  with  this  requirement  before,  and 
it  was  no  new  thing  to  them.  The  fee  for  their  use 
was  one  piastre  each,  paid  on  leaving  the  sacred  build- 
ing, for  though  the  Orientals  call  the  Christians  ^'  in- 
fidel dogs,"  they  have  unbounded  confidence  in  their 
integrity  and  honor. 

After  taking  several  turns,  the  party  reached  the 
inner  court,  which  is  114  feet  long  by  105  in  width. 
The  interior  of  the  mosque  is  in  the  shape  of  a  cross, 
with  pointed  dome  above.  Of  course  the  cruciform 
shape  of  the  interior  has  not  the  same  significance  as 
in  a  church,  for  the  symbol  of  the  Mohammedans  is 
the  crescent.  The  first  thing  that  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  visitors,  after  they  had  taken  a  general 
view  of  the  proportions  of  the  principal  apartment, 
was  two  fountains,  now  in  a  state   of  decay,  though 


THE  CITADEL  AND  TOMBS  OF  THE  KHALIFS       213 

they  still  contained  mnch  of  their  original  beauty. 
The  one  in  the  centre  was  much  larger  than  the  other. 

'^What's  the  use  of  two  of  them  in  the  same 
room? ''  asked  Uncle  Moses. 

"The  one  in  the  middle,"  replied  Mr.  Hornbrook, 
"  was  for  the  Egyptians,  and  the  smaller  one  for  the 
Turks,  for  in  earlier  days  they  kept  entirely  apart 
from  each  other.  The  two  small  arms  of  the  cross  on 
each  side  of  us  are  open  for  the  prayers  of  the  faith- 
ful, though  the  one  on  the  north  side  of  us  is  really 
the  grand  entrance,  whose  lofty  arch  and  magnificent 
proportions  you  observed  in  the  boulevard. 

"  Now  we  will  pass  into  the  sanctuary,"  continued 
the  conductor,  leading  the  way.  "  That  arrangement 
with  stairs  in  front  of  it  is  the  mavibar,  or  pulpit,  from 
which  Sultan  Hasan  sometimes  addressed  the  people." 

"  One  who  wants  to  know  all  about  a  mosque,  as 
described  in  Badaeker,  ought  to  understand  Arabic." 
said  Louis.  '^I  have  studied  the  book  faithfully,  but 
the  technical  names  of  various  parts  are  printed  in 
that  language,  often  with  no  explanation.  The  book 
is  evidently  prepared  by  learned  men,  but  they  fly  too 
far  over  the  heads  of  some  of  us.  "What  is  called  by 
one  name  here  goes  by  another  in  another  place." 

"But  I  am  not  using  any  Arabic  words  without 
telling  what  they  mean,  and  I  am  not  responsible  for 
the  book,"  replied  the  conductor. 

"  I  have  no  fault  to  find  with  you,  sir,"  added  the 
objector,  exhibiting  the  plan  of  tlie  building  in  his 
guide-book.     "  The  place  we  are  about  to  enter  by  the 


214  UP  AND   DOWN  THE  NILE 

door  on  the  right  of  the  mamhar,  which  is  the  pulpit, 
I  judge  from  this  diagram  leads  to  the  maksura,  'an 
interesting  and  majestic  structure,  which  has  recently 
been  restored/  and  must  be  very  interesting  from  the 
looks  of  the  word.  But  the  book  says  it  contains  the 
tomb  of  Sultan  Hasan,  and  we  get  an  idea  what 
the  word  means." 

"  This  dome  is  180  feet  high,  and  certainly  that  is 
majestic,"  added  the  conductor. 

The  party  looked  over  the  tomb,  and  then  retired 
from  the  mausoleum,  or  maksura.  Mr.  Hornbrook 
then  told  tliem  that  the  corner  on  the  south  con- 
tained the  rooms  of  the  schools,  and  the  minaret  rose 
from  that  part  of  the  building,  near  which  was  the 
Sultan's  door. 

''I  haven't  got  at  the  kihla  yet;  but  there  it  is, 
according  to  the  plan,  between  the  two  doors  which 
lead  to  the  tomb,"  said  Louis,  pointing  to  the  centre 
of  the  head  of  the  mosque.  "  It  looks  like  the  place 
for  the  president;  but  as  they  don't  have  such  an 
official  here,  I  conclude  it  is  the  seat  of  the  Sultan 
or  the  grand  high  priest." 

"But  you  are  abusing  Badaeker  without  reason," 
interposed  Professor  Giroud.  "All  these  Arabic  terms 
relating  to  a  mosque  are  explained  in  the  introductory 
chapters ;  and  this  is  not  the  place  for  the  president 
or  the  Sultan.  The  kibla  is  the  prayer-niche,  facing 
Mecca.  On  page  184  you  will  find  all  these  terms 
explained." 

"Then   I   beg  Badaeker's  pardon,"  replied  Louis. 


THE  CITADEL  AND  TOMBS  OF  THE  KHALIFS       215 

"One  easily  forgets  tlie  names  of  things  in  Arabic, 
and  I  suppose  I  did  so,  for  I  have  looked  over  all  this 
'part  of  the  book." 

"  I  think  we  must  be  moving,"  interposed  the  con- 
ductor, looking  at  his  watch  ;  and  the  party  followed 
him. 

The  use  of  the  slippers  was  paid  for,  and  they 
passed  out  of  the  building.  With  what  mosques  they 
had  seen  before,  they  thought  they  did  not  care  to 
visit  any  more  of  them. 

"I  see  that  old  fish  story  is  told  about  Sultan 
Hasan,  that  he  ordered  the  hands  of  the  architect  of 
this  mosque  to  be  chopped  off  to  prevent  him  from 
building  another  which  might  equal  or  surpass  this 
one,"  said  Louis. 

"  That's  a  '  chestnut,'  "  said  Scott. 

The  party  entered  the  carriages  and  mounted  the 
donkeys.  A  little  later  they  came  to  an  open  place 
beyond  the  mosque,   with  two  more  '- Garni ''  on  the 

left. 

"  This  is  Eumeleh  Place  on  the  right,  with  a  foun- 
tain in  the  centre  of  the  circle,"  said  Mr.  Hornbrook 
to  those  in  the  carriage. 

"  Is  it  a  circular  square,  or  a  square  circle,  for  they 
call  these  places  squares,  plazas,  and  the  like  ?  "  asked 
Felix,  who  had  brought  his  donkey  alongside  the 
vehicle. 

"  You  pays  your  money,  etc.  Here  are  two  more 
mosques,"  replied  the  guide.  "One  of  them  is  the 
Garni  Abderrahman,  and  the  other  "  — 


216  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"  Have  mercy  upon  us,  Mr.  Hornbrook ! "  exclaimed 
the  commander.  "  These  names  mean  nothing  to  us. 
When  we  are  on  board  of  our  steamer  sailing  up  the 
Nile,  we  shall  study  up  something  about  the  religion 
of  these  people  ;  and  Arabic  words  convey  no  idea  to 
us." 

"As  you  please,  Mr.  Commander.  We  are  now 
approaching  the  Citadel,  which  is  on  the  hill  before 
us.  Andak  !  "  said  the  conductor  to  the  driver,  which 
meant  "  Stop  !  "  "  Here  is  a  narrow  and  crooked 
road  leading  to  the  fortification,  through  which  the 
donkeys  may  pass,  but  not  the  carriages.  This  lane  is 
the  scene  of  the  massacre  of  the  Mamelukes  by  the 
order  of  Mohammed  Ali.  He  invited  them  to  a  ban- 
quet in  the  Citadel ;  and  when  they  had  entered  this 
passage  the  gate  was  closed  behind  them.  Then  his 
Albanian  soldiers  began  firing  upon  them,  and  killed 
all  but  Amin  Bey,  who  escaped  by  leaping  his  horse 
through  a  hole  in  the  wall.  The  horse  was  killed,  but 
the  rider  saved  his  own  life  ;  and  he  was  the  only 
one  of  four  hundred  and  seventy  that  escaped." 

''  What  in  the  world  did  the  Viceroy  do  that  for  ?  " 
asked  Morris. 

"  Because  the  Mamelukes  wanted  to  have  every- 
thing their  own  way.  They  expected  to  rule  him 
while  he  governed  the  country,  but  they  made  a  bad 
mistake  in  their  man ;  and  that  was  the  last  of  Mame- 
luke influence  in  Egypt.  Young  gentlemen,  you  can 
go  through  this  lane  on  your  donkeys  if  you  like. 
We  will  meet  you  near  the  mosque." 


THE  CITADEL  AND  TOMBS  OF  THE  KHALIES      217 

Of  course  the  boys  preferred  tlie  way  indicated,  and 
the  donkey-drivers  forced  the  diminutive  beasts  into 
a  gallop.  The  carriages  ascended  by  a  broad  thorough- 
fare, and  soon  reached  the  place  indicated  in  the  Cita- 
del, where  they  all  stopped.  The  boys  soon  appeared, 
and  Felix  declared  they  had  seen  no  ghosts  of  Mame- 
lukes, though  he  should  have  his  doubts  about  going 
through  the  lane  at  midnight. 

"  This  stronghold  was  built  of  stone  brought  from 
the  smaller  pyramids,  which  you  are  still  to  visit,  in 
1166,  by  Salaheddin  "  — 

"  Call  him  as  Scott  did  in  the  '  Tales  of  the  Cru- 
sades,' "  interposed  Captain  Einggold. 

"Saladin,  then,  if  you  please.  The  Arabians  say 
the  site  was  selected  because  meat  kept  twice  as  long 
here  as  in  the  city  without  spoiling;  but  you  can 
believe  that  or  not,  just  as  you  like." 

"  I  think  we  may  believe  that  the  air  up  here  was 
pure  and  clean  ;  and  that  is  the  moral  of  the  yarn," 
added  the  commander. 

"But  it  is  not  a  good  military  position;  for  the 
Mokattam  Hills  on  the  south  command  it,  and  Mo- 
hammed Ali,  when  he  took  possession,  compelled  the 
Pacha  in  command  to  surrender  the  Citadel,  by  plant- 
ing a  battery  on  one  of  those  heights.  In  front  of 
you  is  the  Gami  Mohammed  Ali,  called  the  '  Alabaster 
Mosque,'  which  can  be  seen  all  over  Cairo.  Architects 
don't  laud  it  to  the  skies,  but  some  think  it  is  a  very 
handsome  building.  The  minarets  are  especially  tall 
and  elegant,  and  the  alabaster  on  the  outside,  not  all 


o 


18  UP  AND  DOWN   THE   NILE 


of  it  blocks,  but  veneering,  gives  the  structure  a  very 
imposing  look,"  said  Mr.  Hornbrook,  as  he  led  the 
party,  who  had  descended  from  the  carriages  and 
donkeys,  towards  the  mosque. 

"  We  won't  go  in  !  "  protested  the  commander. 

"  Fear  not,"  laughed  the  conductor.  "  I  shall  take 
you  only  to  the  platform  of  the  mosque,  for  it  com- 
mands the  best  view.  I  had  a  couple  of  gentlemen 
up  here  the  other  day  who  declared  that  this  was  the 
finest  view  to  be  obtained  in  the  whole  wide  world  ; 
and  it  is  now  in  order  for  you  all  to  go  into  ecstasies 
over  it,"  he  added,  when  he  had  reached  the  espla- 
nade.    "  I  don't  do  so  any  more." 

"It  is  certainly  a  magnificent  view/'  replied  the 
commander. 

"  It  is  perfectly  lovely  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Belgrave. 

"  Domes,  gardens,  and  minarets  without  number !  " 
ejaculated  the  doctor.  "  We  must  come  up  here 
again,  for  I  am  inclined  to  agree  with  the  gentlemen 
who  considered  it  the  finest  view  in  the  world." 

"  Worth  the  voyage  to  Egypt ! "  chuckled  Uncle 
Moses. 

"Quite  a  smart  outlook,"  said  Scott,  rather  lan- 
guidly, as  though  he  did  not  intend  to  be  carried 
away  by  anything  Oriental.  "  It  is  the  minarets  and 
things  which  make  it  odd  to  us.  If  you  could  plant 
one  or  two  of  those  twenty-story  buildings  they  have 
just  put  up  in  New  York  City,  it  would  make  these 
Islamites  open  their  eyes." 

"  But  would  not  add  to  the  magnificence  of  the 
view,"  added  Louis. 


TBE  CITADEL  AND  TOMBS  OF  THE  KHALTFS      2i9 

"  There  is  a  palace  of  the  Khedive  here,  which  is 
quite  European,"  said  the  guide,  "and  there  are  two 
others  within  the  fortifications. '' 

"  I  suppose  the  Viceroy  and  his  family  want  a  safe 
place  when  there  is  any  trouble  in  the  city,"  suggested 
Uncle  Moses. 

The  party  walked  around  the  mosque  to  the  rear, 
and  then  descended  to  the  ground. 

"  This  is  Joseph's  well,  two  hundred  and  eighty 
feet  deep.  It  is  square,  as  you  see,  and  was  cut 
through  the  limestone  to  supply  the  garrison  with 
water,  though  it  is  decidedly  bad,  which  was  brought 
to  the  top  by  an  apparatus  worked  by  oxen  half-way 
down  the  hole.  This  is  said  to  be  the  well  into  which 
Joseph  was  cast,  in  the  Bible." 

"  Joseph's  brethren  did  not  cast  him  into  a  well, 
but  into  a  pit,"  protested  Mrs.  Blossom. 

"  This  hole  would  pass  for  a  pit,"  replied  Mr.  Horn- 
brook.  "  Saladin's  name  was  Yusuf,  which  is  Joseph 
in  English,  and  probably  the  well  was  named  after 
him." 

"^STot  for  Joseph,"  added  Scott. 

"  Besides,  I  thought  that  pit  was  in  the  Land  of 
Canaan,"  persisted  the  good  lady.  "Joseph  in  that 
well !     I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it." 

"I  don't  think  any  of  the  rest  of  us  believe  it," 
added  the  captain. 

As  the  party  were  in  the  vicinity  of  them,  they 
next  proceeded  to  the  tombs  of  the  Khalifs.  They 
are  on  tolerably  level  ground  at  the  foot  of  AYindmill 


220  UP   AND   DOWN   THE    NILE 

Hill,  over  the  lower  part  of  which,  the  road  led,  and 
the  procession  halted  on  a  considerable  elevation, 
which  commanded  a  fine  view  of  the  structures  on  the 
lower  ground.  They  were  mostly  partially  dilapi- 
dated, though  the  domes  and  minarets  were  still  to  be 
seen. 

"  It  looks  like  an  Oriental  city  on  a  small  scale," 
said  Louis.  ''  There  are  at  least  a  dozen  domes  and 
half  as  many  minarets  to  be  seen  rising  above  the  old 
walls  and  other  rubbish." 

^'  Most  of  these  tombs  are  very  large,  as  you  can  see. 
Formerly  there  were  funds  provided  for  keeping  them 
in  good  condition,  and  each  had  officers  appointed  to 
take  care  of  them  ;  they  and  their  families  resided  on 
the  ground.  These  revenues  were  confiscated  nearly  a 
hundred  years  ago,  and  the  tomb-mosques  have  gone 
to  decay,"  said  the  conductor.  "  Some  of  the  descen- 
dants of  the  persons  who  had  charge  of  them  have 
taken  up  their  abode  here,  and  you  will  probably  have 
a  call  upon  you  for  bakshish." 

The  procession  proceeded  again;  and  when  they 
alighted  at  the  tomb  of  Kait  Bey,  the  most  imposing  of 
them  all  except  perhaps  that  of  Sultan  Barkuk,  the 
natives  appeared.  The  commander  requested  the 
party  not  to  give  them  a  millieme,  for  the  more  one 
gives,  the  greater  the  demand.  The  beggars  came 
upon  the  tourists  with  outstretched  hands.  The  cap- 
tain caught  the  foremost  of  them  by  his  rags,  and 
pitched  him  a  rod,  shouting  to  them  "  Imshi !  "  (be- 
gone !)     Scott  upset  a  couple  of  them  at  the  same 


THE  CITADEL  AND  TOMBS  OF  THE  KHALIFS      221 

time,   and   Mr.    Hornbrook    laughed    till    Ms    sides 
ached. 

The  lofty  dome  and  the  graceful  minarets  of  the 
tomb-mosque  of  Kait  Bey  are  very  generally  regarded 
as  the  finest  remains  on  the  ground,  and  they  were 
looked  upon  with  wonder  and  admiration  by  all  the 
visitors.  They  were  so  enchanted  by  the  beautiful 
structure  that  the  conductor  had  to  hurry  them  away. 

"The  tomb-mosque  of  the  Sultan  Barkuk  was 
hardly  less  magnificent.  It  has  two  wonderfidly 
fine  domes,  and  as  many  exquisitely  ornamented 
minarets.  It  was  diflB.cult  for  the  Americans  to 
imagine  that  such  an  imposing  and  beautiful  build- 
ing had  been  constructed  to  commemorate  even  a 
dead  Sultan."' 

"The  tombs  of  the  Mamelukes,  meaning  the  Sul- 
tans of  this  line,  are  not  far  from  here ;  but  we  have 
not  time  to  visit  them  before  luncheon,"  said  Mr. 
Hornbrook.  "  Xext  to  nothing  is  known  in  regard  to 
them ;  and  though  there  are  stately  ruins  among  them, 
they  do  no^  compare  with  what  you  have  just  seen. 
We  will  return  to  the  hotel  now." 

"  I  think  we  can  omit  the  Mamelukes,  as  we  have 
had  the  best  specimens  of  the  whole  thing/'-  added 
the  commander.  "  We  should  like  something  a  little 
different  for  this  afternoon  from  buildings  of  any 
kind." 

Mr.  Hornbrook  promised  to  govern  himself  by  this 
direction,  and  the  carriages  and  donkeys  returned  to 
the  hotel. 


222  UP  AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 


CHAPTEE  XXIV 


A   VISIT    TO    BULAK    AND    ITS    MUSEUM 


By  the  time  the  party  had  assembled  for  hmch  Mr. 
Hornbrook  had  arranged  the  programme  for  the  after- 
noon, and  he  was  inclined  to  hurry  the  tourists  in 
order  to  inake  the  time  for  the  excursion  the  longer. 

"You  have  taken  a  very  rapid  survey  of  the  city  to 
the  east  and  north,"  said  he,  as  he  took  his  seat  at 
the  table.  "  This  afternoon  we  will  go  to  the  western 
part  of  the  city.  We  crossed  the  Ismailiyeh  Canal 
when  we  came  from  the  railroad  station,  which  is  on 
the  other  side  of  it.  We  will  go  to  the  westward 
now,  and  make  a  visit  to  Bl\lak." 

"  Can  we  go  on  the  donkeys  again  ?  "  asked  Morris. 

"  We  will  let  them  rest  this  afternoon  so  far  as  we 
are  concerned,  for  I  have  ordered  the  wagonette  for 
this  occasion,  so  that  you  can  all  ride  together,"  re- 
plied the  conductor.  "But  you  will  have  all  the  don- 
keys you  want,  and  camels  too,  those  who  prefer  the 
ship  of  the  desert,  before  we  go  up  the  Kile.  The 
vehicle  is  already  at  the  door." 

Not  a  great  deal  of  time  was  spent  at  the  lunch, 
and  very  little  was  said,  though  the  table  was  always 
enlivened  with  pleasant  conversation  at  other  times. 


A    VISIT    TO    BULAK    AND    ITS   MUSEUM         223 

They  left  tlie  hotel,  and  found  the  usual  animated 
scene  in  front  of  the  hotel.  The  donkey-boys  were 
tliere  in  full  force,  including  those  who  had  served  the 
boys  in  the  forenoon;  and  they  were  greatly  disap- 
pointed to  learn  that  their  services  would  not  be 
required,  for  they  had  been  paid  very  liberally  by 
Louis. 

The  wagonette  crossed  the  canal,  and  the  party 
soon  found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  more  Orien- 
tal surroundings  than  they  had  observed  before,  for 
Buhak  is  the  port  of  Cairo.  The  streets  were  nar- 
row, and  a  couple  of  young  Egyptians  volunteered  to 
serve  as  outrunners,  and  clear  the  way.  It  was  also 
the  market  for  the  merchants  ;  and  the  shore  was  lined 
with  freight  boats  from  all  the  sections  of  the  Nile, 
from  Darfur,  Dongola,  Kordofan,  Khartum,  and  other 
parts  of  the  south,  as  well  as  from  various  places 
in  the  Delta.  Here  the  merchants  of  Cairo  come, 
generally  in  the  morning. 

"  You  see  here  more  camels  than  you  have  in  the 
city,"  said  the  conductor,  as  the  driver  stopped  his 
horses  in  a  nook  in  the  street. 

"Wliat  have  we  stopped  here  for?  I  don't  see 
anything  worth  looking  at,"  inquired  ]\Iorris. 

'•  There  comes  a  caravan,  and  our  driver  thinks  we 
had  better  keep  out  of  the  way  of  it,"  replied  Mr. 
Hornbrook,  as  the  head  of  the  camel  procession  came 
abreast  of  the  vehicle,  and  he  spoke  to  one  of  the  men. 
'•'  This  one  comes  from  Darfur,  though  it  is  not  nearly 
as  large  as  some  that  come  in ;  but  it  has  traversed 


224  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

the  desert,  and  in  one  place  they  get  no  fresh  water 
for  twelve  days." 

"  And  they  don't  have  any  ice  to  cool  the  water 
they  carry  in  the  goat-skins,"  added  Louis. 

"  Ice  would  not  last  long  in  the  desert.  These 
camels,  you  notice,  are  not  like  those  you  have  seen 
about  the  streets  of  Cairo.  They  are  Bactrians,  with 
two  humps,  and  they  carry  big  loads." 

"They  are  ugly-looking  beasts,"  added  Mrs.  Wool- 
ridge. 

"  They  excite  our  respect  because  they  are  so  use- 
ful, and  can  go  so  long  without  '  taking  a  drink,' "  re- 
plied the  conductor.  "  But,  unlike  a  lapdog,  they  do 
not  call  out  the  affections.  A  great  many  valuable 
articles  of  merchandise  are  brought  here,  and  from 
this  market  go  all  over  the  world.  Gums,  senna 
leaves,  ivory,  and  ostrich  feathers  are  brought  here." 

"  I  don't  see  any  ostrich  feathers,"  said  Miss 
Blanche,  as  the  wagonette  moved  on. 

"  They  are  very  carefully  tied  up  in  bundles,  with 
pepper  sprinkled  on  them  to  keep  the  moths  out. 
They  come  from  Kordofan,  where  the  natives  bring 
up  ostriches  as  you  do  chickens  in  the  States,"  replied 
Mr.  Hornbrook,  directing  the  driver  to  stop  at  a  cer- 
tain point.     "  We  shall  see  some  here." 

He  called  a  man,  and  presently  some  specimens 
were  brought  out  for  the  inspection  of  the  ladies ;  but 
they  have  to  be  washed  and  prepared  before  they  are 
offered  for  sale  in  Paris,  London,  and  New  York. 

"  How  much  do  they  cost  ?  "  asked  Louis. 


A   VISIT   TO    lULAK    AND    ITS    MUSEUM        225 

"  They  are  sold  by  the  pound,  and  you  can  see  that 
it  takes  a  great  many  of  them  to  make  this  weight ; 
and  the  very  best  of  them  bring  as  much  as  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  of  your  money/'  replied  the 
conductor.  "  Let  them  see  the  best  feather  you  have, 
Muley." 

He  brought  out  one  which  had  been  dressed  for 
use,  and  the  ladies  were  in  raptures,  it  was  so 
beautiful. 

"  That  is  perfectly  lovely ! "  exclaimed  Miss 
Blanche. 

'^That  one  is  worth  twenty-five  francs,"  said  the 
dealer  in  broken-down  English. 

'<  Will  he  sell  it  for  that  ?  and  is  the  price  he  names 
reasonable  ?  "  inquired  Louis. 

"It  is  cheap  for  it,"  answered  Mr.  Hornbrook; 
and  somewhat  to  the  surprise  of  the  rest  of  the  party 
the  young  millionaire  produced  his  purse  and  pur- 
chased the  feather. 

"  Will  you  allow  me  to  present  it  to  you  ?  "  asked 
Louis,  as  he  tendered  it  to  the  fair  maiden. 

"  How  very  kind  you  are,  Mr.  Belgrave ! "  she  ex- 
claimed, looking  at  her  mother ;  and  as  no  objection 
was  made  by  Mrs.  Woolridge,  she  consented  to  receive 
it,  and  the  merchant  prepared  it  for  transportation. 

Scott  nudged  Felix  as  they  observed  the  blushes 
of  both  parties  to  the  gift ;  but  nothing  in  the  way  of 
comments  was  made  by  any  one.  The  carriage  pro- 
ceeded on  its  way,  the  conductor  describing  what  was 
to  be  seen. 


226  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

"  BeloTT  at  the  Emhaheh  are  the  dehabeahs  used  by 
some  travellers  up  the  Nile ;  but  you  will  have  abun- 
dant opportunity  to  see  many  of  them  in  a  few  days. 
There  is  an  arsenal  at  the  north  end  of  BMak  where 
arms  are  kept,  with  a  machine-shop  for  their  manu- 
facture attached  to  it ;  and  on  the  island  is  a  govern- 
ment printing-office,  chiefly  for  the  issue  of  scientific 
works  of  all  kinds,  as  well  as  a  paper  mill,  an  iron 
foundry,  and  other  public  institutions," 

The  party  rode  about  the  island  for  a  while  longer, 
and  made  a  short  trip  to  the  chateau  and  garden  of 
Gezireh,  for  admission  to  which  Mr.  Hornbrook  was 
provided  with  tickets,  as  he  had  been  to  the  mosques 
and  Citadel.  It  contains  suites  of  apartments  for  the 
Khedive,  which  he  seldom  occupies  himself,  though 
it  was  used  for  the  entertainment  of  the  invited 
guests  at  the  opening  of  the  Suez  Canal.  The  rooms 
were  of  course  elegant ;  but  the  party  were  by  this 
time  accustomed  to  regal  apartments,  and  they  were 
not  greatly  interested.  The  garden,  with  its  foun- 
tains, kiosk,  grotto,  and  its  tropical  plants,  pleased 
them  more. 

Returning  to  the  wagon,  they  were  driven  nearly  to 
the  southern  end  of  the  island,  and  a  stop  was  made 
in  front  of  a  large  building,  the  Bfilak  Museum,  on 
the  bank  of  the  Nile,  where  it  was  placed  for  con- 
venience in  landing  heavy  statues  and  other  relics. 
They  were  first  conducted  to  the  garden,  where  the 
tomb  of  Mariette  was  the  prominent  object.  Pro- 
fessor Giroud  was  greatly  im^pressed  when  he  came  to 


A    VISIT   TO    BULAK    AND   ITS   MUSEUM        227 

the  resting-place  of  one  of  the  great  Egyptologists  of 
his  native  country. 

"  Mariette  was  born  at  Boulogne  in  France  in  1821. 
He  was  liberally  educated,  and  was  a  teacher  in  his 
earlier  years.  He  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  com- 
panion of  Champollionj  the  discoverer  of  the  Eosetta 
Stone,  which  afforded  a  clew  to  the  hieroglyphics,  and 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  wonders  of  this  coun- 
try," said  the  professor.  '•  He  was  appointed  keeper 
of  monuments,  and  made  very  important  discoveries. 
This  museum  was  founded  b}'  him,  and  he  was  its 
director  till  his  death,  eleven  years  ago.  He  was  the 
author  of  one  of  the  systems  of  chronology  I  men- 
tioned to  you  on  board  of  the  ship." 

"  The  professor  has  told  you  what  this  place  is,  and 
who  was  its  distinguished  director,  and  the  position 
has  been  filled  for  the  last  six  years  by  Monsieur 
Grebaut,"  said  the  conductor.  "Through  the  influ- 
ence of  Mariette  a  law  was  passed  which  forbids  the 
exportation  of  antiquities  of  any  kind ;  and  this  mu- 
seum was  established  for  their  preservation.  You 
will  not,  therefore,  be  able  to  put  a  mummy  or  a 
pyramid  in  your  pocket  when  you  leave. 

"  But  this  location  was  found  to  be  unsuitable  sev- 
eral years  ago  for  the  institution,  and  arrangements 
were  made  for  its  removal  to  the  vice-regal  palace  of 
Gizeh,  on  the  other  side  of  the  west  arm  of  the  Nile. 
This  is  an  immense  edifice,  containing  five  hundred 
apartments,  built  by  Khedive  Ismail  for  his  harem 
at  a  cost  of  a  hundred  and  twenty  million  francs. 


228  UP   AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

The  contents  of  the  museum  are  now  in  process  of 
removal.  Thirty-one  rooms  are  now  completed,  and 
filled  with  antiquities.  You  can,  therefore,  visit  only 
a  portion  of  the  institution  to-day ;  and  I  advise  you 
to  reserve  the  part  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  till 
your  return  from  the  tour  up  the  Nile,  for  you  will 
then  be  in  better  condition  to  understand  what  you 
will  see  there. 

^^What  is  left  here  forms  an  immense  collection, 
numbering  thousands  of  objects  of  interest;  and  if 
you  intend  to  examine  them  in  detail,  you  must  take 
a  week  or  a  month  for  the  purpose." 

"We  have  seen  plenty  of  these  things  in  other 
museums,  and  I  don't  think  we  shall  care  to  weigh 
or  measure  many  of  them,"  added  the  commander. 
"  Just  show  us  the  most  noted  of  the  curiosities,  and 
that  will  answer  our  purpose.  If  the  doctor  or  any 
of  the  party  wish  to  see  more  of  them,  it  is  easy  for 
them  to  make  another  visit." 

The   objects   were   all   numbered,   and    catalogues 

were  procired,  so  that  all  could  know  what  they  were 

xoo^ing  at   for  example:    "409.    Limestone  coffin  of 

*a.    vvoman,   Ankh;    160.    Coffin  in  green  basalt  of   a 

->voman  nam»d  Betaita,  both  of  the  Ptolemaic  period." 

"  It  is  a  good  thing  to  have  the  names  of  the  occu- 
pants of  these  coffins,"  chuckled  Uncle  Moses  ;  "  but 
I  don't  think  we  shall  find  those  of  any  of  our  de- 
ceased relations  among  them." 

"  '  Tombstone  of  Entef  (Eleventh  Dynasty),'  "  read 
the  doctor,  as  he  pointed  to  the  object.  "  How  long 
ago  was  that,  Professor  ?  " 


A   VISIT   TO   BULAK   AND   ITS    MUSEUM        221" 

"  Over  five  thousand  years,  according  to  Mariette." 

"That  was  some  time  ago,"  added  Uncle  Moses. 
"  Osiris,  Onis,  Apis,  Isis,  all  seem  to  be  here." 

" '  Jewels  of  Queen  Somebody,  mother  of  Somebody, 
found  with  the  mummy  of  Queen  Somebody  at  Thebes 
(Eighteenth  Dynasty),' "  read  Mrs.  Belgrave,  as  Mr. 
Hornbrook  indicated  a  special  object,  substituting 
"Somebody"  for  the  proper  names  she  could  not 
pronounce.  "How  long  ago  was  that.  Professor 
Giroud  ?  " 

"  Just  3,595  years  ago,"  replied  the  learned  gentle- 
man, consulting  his  guide-book. 

"That  is  longer  ago  than  I  can  remember,  and  I 
never  heard  the  name  of  Queen  Somebody  before,  or 
the  other  queen  either,"  laughed  the  lady,  as  she  pro- 
ceeded to  read  the  list  of  the  jewels.  "  ^Bracelet  for 
the  upper  arm,  adorned  with  turquoise ;  a  vulture 
with  wings  of  lapis  lazuli,  cornelian,  and  paste  in  a 
gold  setting  ;  dagger  formed  of  four  female  heads  in 
gold,  with  the  blade  damascened  with  the  same  metal. 

"  ^  Axe  with  a  handle  of  cedar-wood  encased  in  gold 
and  inlaid  with  the  name  and  titles  of  Aahmes  in 
precious  stones ;  pliable  chain  of  gold,  thirty-six 
inches  long,  to  which  is  attached  a  scarabaeus  with 
wings  inlaid  with  lapis  lazuli,'  and  so  on  to  the  end  of 
the  chapter." 

"I  should  think  Khedive  Ismail  might  have  paid 
the  debts  of  his  government  by  confiscating  the  gold 
and  precious  stones  in  this  Museum,"  suggested  Uncle 
Moses. 


230  UP   A^'I)   DOWN   THE  NILE 

"  So  might  England  pay  off  a  portion  of  her  na- 
tional debt  by  selling  off  the  crown  jewels,  or  the 
articles  in  the  British  Museum/'  replied  the  captain. 
"  But  that  would  not  do  in  either  country." 

"Here  is  the  wooden  statue  from  Sakkara,  railed 
in  to  koep  Yankees  from  chipping  it  off,"  laughed 
Mr.  Hornbrook. 

'•Or  <j-ermans  either,"  added  Captain  Einggold. 

"  All  right,  Mr.  Commander.  This  figure  is  called 
the  Shekh-el-Beled,  which  means  a  village  chief,  be- 
cause it  resembles  one  of  these  well-fed  officials," 
continued  the  guide. 

"But  the  man  that  statue  was  made  for  did  not 
weigh  as  much  as  Brother  Avoirdupois,"  remarked 
l)r.  Hawkes. 

"  Or  Brother  Adipose  Tissue,"  added  Uncle  Moses. 

"This  statue,  dating  back  to  the  early  days,  say 
six  thousand  years  ago,  proves  that  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tians knew  "  — 

"  Call  it  four  thousand,  according  to  Mariette." 

"  But  it  shows  that  they  knew  how  to  sculp  in  that 
day,"  said  Eelix,  who  had  been  giving  no  little  atten- 
tion for  him  to  the  figure.  "  It  is  a  capital  piece  of 
sculptuary." 

"  Here  is  the  statue  of  Hathor,  the  goddess  of  the 
infernal  regions  ;  but  as  none  of  you  expect  to  visit 
her  domain,  we  will  pass  on,"  added  the  conductor. 
"Here  are  models  of  boats,  in  which  you  nautical 
gentlemen  may  feel  an  interest.  Some  of  the  craft 
were  used  for  transporting  mummies.     Here  are  the 


A  VISIT   TO   BULAK   AND   ITS   MUSEUM        231 

playthings  of  children,  including  wooden  dolls.  Here 
is  a  ball,  and  there  are  pictures  and  other  objects 
which  prove  that  the  subjects  of  the  Pharaohs  played 
games  of  ball,  though  there  is  nothing  to  show  that 
ihej  played  base-ball.  Sometimes  one  fellow  strad- 
iled  on  the  back  of  another,  and  played  catch  and 
catch  with  one  similarly  mounted.  Others  had  a 
game  with  sand-bags.  Checkers  were  used  then,  and 
bull-fights  were  known,  though  not  like  those  in 
Spain.'' 

"I  see  scarabaei  without  number,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor. 

^'Xo  end  of  them,"  replied  Mr.  Hornbrook.  "They 
are  found  in  mummies  from  which  the  heart  had  been 
removed,  and  the  bug  is  an  emblem  of  that  organ. 
But  it  is  getting  late,  and  it  would  take  us  a  week  to 
go  through  the  Museum  at  the  rate  you  have  used 
some  of  the  time." 

The  party  loaded  themselves  into  the  wagonette, 
and  when  they  reached  Shepheard's  they  were  tired 
and  hungry  enough  to  spend  the  evening  in-doors, 
though  the  boys  said  they  should  take  another  ride 
on  the  donkeys. 


232  UP  AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 


CHAPTEE   XXV 

AN    OVERTURE    FROM    THE    CHIEF    CONSPIRATOR 

The  following  day  was  Sunday.  Most  of  the 
party  were  glad  to  have  a  day  of  rest,  and  the  ladies 
were  quite  worn  out  by  the  exertion  of  the  visit  to 
the  BMak  Museum.  Only  a  fraction  of  what  they 
examined  could  be  given  on  these  pages,  and  they 
saw  but  a  fraction  of  what  there  was  to  be  seen,  even 
without  the  portion  removed  to  Gizeh. 

"  I  am  going  to  protest,"  said  Mrs.  Belgrave,  when 
they  were  seated  at  the  breakfast-table. 

"  To  the  government  of  Egypt  ?  "  inquired  Captain 
Einggold,  quite  surprised  that  this  lady,  who  was  one 
of  the  pleasantest  and  most  amiable  in  the  world, 
should  have  any  fault  to  find  with  anybody  or  any- 
thing. 

"No;  to  the  commander  of  this  expedition,"  replied 
the  mother  of  the  owner  of  the  Guardian-Mother. 

"  Indeed !     And  what  have  I  done  ?  " 

"You  have  permitted  us  to  be  hustled  about  this 
country  as  though  we  had  but  a  month  more  to  live, 
and  all  Egypt  must  be  explored  before  the  final 
hour,"  added  the  lady  languidly. 


OVERTURE  FROM  THE  CHIEF  CONSPIRATOR      233 

"  Then  I  must  protest  to  Mr.  Hornbrook,"  answered 
the  commander,  turning  his  gaze  to  that  gentleman. 

"  I  was  just  going  to  ask  you  whether  you  would  go 
to  the  pyramids  of  Gizeh,  to  Shubra  Village,  or  the 
petrified  forest,  to-day  ?  "  said  the  conductor,  with  a 
cheerful  laugh  on  his  face. 

"  But  this  is  Sunday,"  protested  Mrs.  Belgrave. 

"So  were  yesterday  and  the  day  before,  for  we 
have  three  Sundays  in  succession  here ;  and  very  few 
take  any  notice  of  any  of  them,"  replied  Mr.  Horn- 
brook.  "As  a  general  rule  my  parties  improve 
Sunday  in  the  same  manner  that  they  do  other 
days." 

"  This  is  the  Christian  Sabbath,  and  for  one  I  pro- 
pose to  observe  it,  wherever  I  may  be." 

"  So  do  I  for  another  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Blossom,  as 
though  she  was  ready  to  be  a  martyr. 

"  Would  you  like  to  go  to  church  ?  "  asked  the  con- 
ductor in  a  rather  cynical  tone. 

"  Can  we  go  to  church  here  ?  I  don't  mean  to  a 
mosque." 

"  Certainly  you  can.  The  American  Mission  has 
services  just  around  the  corner,  and  the  English 
Church  is  close  by,"  added  the  conductor. 

"  I  wish  to  go  to  the  Catholic  Church,"  added  the 
professor  with  a  smile. 

"  The  French  Catholic  Church  is  near  the  Muski ; 
turn  to  the  right  at  the  next  street  before  you  come 
to  the  City  Canal,  and  it  will  take  you  to  it,"  the 
guide  explained. 


234  UP  AND  DOWN   THE   NILE 

"I  am  not  particular  that  it  should  be  French,  for 
in  our  services  the  same  language  is  used  all  over  the 
world,  and  I  should  be  as  much  at  home  in  a  church 
in  Italy  as  I  should  in  one  in  France,"  added  Pro- 
fessor Giroud. 

Mrs.  Belgrave  preferred  to  go  to  the  American 
Mission,  and  Mrs.  Blossom,  Captain  Ringgold,  Uncle 
Moses,  Louis,  and  Felix  went  with  her.  The  AVool- 
ridges  were  Episcopalians,  and  they  all  went  to  the 
English  Church.  Scott  went  with  the  professor, 
partly  for  the  walk  through  the  Muski,  and  Dr. 
Hawkes  wished  to  write  some  letters.  Mr.  Horn- 
brook  conducted  the  larger  party  to  the  Eoute  de 
Bdlak,  around  the  corner,  but  would  not  attend  the 
service,  and  acted  as  though  he  thought  that  such 
was  wasting  time.  As  the  Americans  entered,  they 
were  someAvhat  surprised  to  see  the  four  American 
sailors  from  the  ship  in  the  church. 

There  was  no  service  in  the  afternoon,  and  after 
luncheon  Louis  and  Felix  went  out  to  walk  in  the 
Ezbekiyeh  garden.  They  seated  themselves  where 
the  crowd  of  strollers  was  the  thickest,  to  observe  the 
people  of  all  nations  as  they  passed.  This  afforded 
them  abundant  occupation  for  some  time;  for  there 
was  hardly  anything  more  interesting  to  them  than 
to  watch  the  faces  and  study  the  costumes  of  the 
Orientals. 

"  Hold  up,  my  darling !  "  suddenly  exclaimed  Felix, 
grasping  the  arm  of  his  companion. 

<'  What's  the  matter  now,  Flix  ?  "  asked  Louis ;  but 


OVEPtTURE  FROM  THE  CHIEF  CONSPIRATOR      235 

lie  was  sure  that  the  Milesian  had  seen  something 
strange  or  startling. 

"  Don't  you  see  that  couple  on  the  other  side  of  the 
pond  ?  "  demanded  Felix  with  energy. 

'^  I  see  twenty  couples  at  least,"  replied  Louis,  look- 
ing in  the  direction  indicated. 

If  his  eyes  were  not  quite  so  sharp  as  those  of  the 
amateur  detective,  he  immediately  discovered  the  two 
persons  who  had  attracted  the  attention  of  his  com- 
panion. One  of  them  was  dressed  in  full  Oriental 
costume,  while  the  other  wore  a  European  dress,  and 
looked  like  a  French  dandy.  He  had  no  difficulty  in 
recognizing  both  of  them.  They  seemed  to  be  in 
earnest  conversation,  and  both  of  them  bestowed  an 
occasional  glance  at  the  two  young  men,  who  vv^ere 
seated  alone  on  a  bench  long  enough  for  half  a  dozen. 

"  Do  you  make  them  out  now,  Louis  ? "  asked 
Felix. 

"  I  do ;  I  should  know  them  with  half  an  eye,"  re- 
plied the  young  millionaire.  ^-  But  don't  make  any 
demonstration,  or  use  any  exclamations ;  keep  per- 
fectly cool." 

"  It  is  not  easy  to  be  an  iceberg  in  this  hot  country, 
when  you  see  the  villains  who  have  been  hounding  us 
for  the  last  six  months ;  and  the  wonder  is  that  you 
and  Miss  Blanche  are  not  prisoners  in  a  castle  in 
Mogadore,"  replied  Felix. 

"  I  don't  think  either  of  us  have  been  within  a  thou- 
sand miles  of  any  such  fate,"  replied  Louis  with  a 
cheerful  smile.     "They  are   not  going  to  lay  hands 


236  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

upon  us  here,  with  five  hundred  people  within  knock- 
down  distance  of  us.  Be  as  cool  as  Captain  Ringgold 
alwaj^s  is.     I  wish  he  were  here  at  this  moment." 

'^If  he  were  here,  those  pirates  would  soon  be  some- 
where else.  But  I  am  as  cool  as  you  are,  darling," 
returned  Felix  with  a  smile,  and  perhaps  not  as  good 
an  opinion  of  his  detective  skill  as  usual.  "If  you 
think  I  am  afraid  of  them,  Louis,  you  are  as  much 
mistaken  as  a  chicken  in  a  duck-pond.  I  was  a  little 
startled  when  I  saw  them,  as  you  would  have  been  if 
you  had  seen  them  first.  They  are  coming  over  this 
way,"  he  added,  as  he  put  his  hand  into  the  hip-pocket 
where  he  carried  his  revolver. 

"I  saw  Knott  and  Stoody  just  now,"  said  Louis, 
looking  about  him. 

"  And  there  are  Lanark  and  Ball  on  the  other  side 
of  the  pond,"  added  Felix,  both  of  them  alluding  to 
the  four  sailors  who  had  come  up  with  the  party,  each 
with  a  revolver  about  him,  and  all  of  them  old  man- 
of-war's-men  who  had  been  in  actual  service.  "  I 
wonder  if  Captain  Ringgold  instructed  them  to  keep 
a  lookout  for  you." 

"  I  don't  believe  he  did  anything  of  the  kind,  for 
that  would  have  been  a  point  towards  giving  away 
the  secret,"  replied  Louis.  "  The  kidnappers  are 
coming  over  this  way  ;  but  let  them  come.  Don't  say 
anything  more  about  them." 

Felix  thought  his  "  darling  "  was  not  exactly  recog- 
nizing him  in  his  capacity  of  a  detective,  whose 
special  office  just  then  was  to  protect  him,  for  he  was 


OVERTUKE  FROM  THE  CHIEF  CONSPIRATOR      237 

rather  taking  the  lead  in  the  preparations  for  what- 
ever might  ensue  from  the  rencontre  with  the  enemy. 
But  he  had  always  followed  his  friend  in  everything 
else,  and  he  was  content  to  take  charge  of  him  as  a 
mother  does  of  her  baby,  whether  the  subject  of  his 
care  was  conscious  of  his  protection  or  not. 

The  Moor  and  the  Frenchman  did  not  act  as  though 
they  had  a  mission  to  carry  out,  for  they  sauntered 
along  very  carelessly,  the  latter  with  a  light  cane  in 
his  hand  which  he  was  twirling  as  though  life  had  no 
object  for  him.  Without  seeming  to  care  where  they 
went,  they  wandered  around  the  little  sheet  of  water, 
keeping  in  the  pathway  between  the  benches  and  the 
shore.  The  young  men  looked  as  though  they  were 
utterly  unconscious  of  the  proximity  of  the  enemy, 
and  gazed  about  at  the  people  around  them. 

Both  parties  were  superlatively  indifferent,  and  on 
the  stage  they  would  have  been  commended  for  good 
acting.  As  the  pirates  or  brigands,  for  both  of  them 
had  served  in  these  roles,  approached  the  bench  where 
the  young  men  were  seated,  the  Oriental  gave  a  well- 
acted  start,  and  came  to  a  full  stop,  fixing  his  gaze 
upon  Louis.  The  Frenchman  went  through  a  similar 
bit  of  pantomime,  and  fixed  his  eyes  upon  Felix. 

It  was  evident  that  the  performance,  whatever  it 
was  to  be,  had  actually  begun.  Louis  took  no  appar- 
ent notice  of  them,  though  he  could  not  help  seeing 
that  the  comedy  or  tragedy  was  about  to  develop 
itself.  He  was  entirely  satisfied  that  the  villains  did 
not  mean  to   assassinate   him,  for  this   would   have 


238  UP   AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

ruined  tlie  hopes  of  the  Grand  Mogul.  At  the  same 
time,  he  kept  his  hand  on  his  revolver,  imprudent  as 
it  would  have  been  to  exhibit  it. 

From  the  point  where  he  halted,  the  chief  conspir- 
ator, his  face  beaming  with  the  pleasantest  of  smiles, 
walked  directly  up  to  Louis,  and  extended  his  hand  to 
him  as  though  they  had  been  friends  for  years.  The. 
Frenchman  went  through  the  same  ceremony  with 
Felix,  who  politely  intimated  that  the  Evil  One  might 
shake  his  own  paw,  and  kept  his  right  hand  on  his 
weapon.  Louis,  without  reasoning  why  he  was  so, 
was  more  courteous,  accepted  the  hand  of  the  pirat- 
ical Moor,  perhaps  because  he  was  curious  to  know 
what  particular  form  the  present  overture  was  to 
take. 

"  I  am  very  happy  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Belgrave," 
said  he ;  and  he  was  artful  enough  to  make  his 
manner  correspond  with  his  words. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,  for  you  have  always  been 
glad  to  meet  me  in  order  to  carry  out  the  purpose  for 
which  you  are  employed  by  His  Highness,  the  Pacha 
Ali-Noury,"  replied  Louis. 

"I  am  glad  we  understand  each  other  so  well," 
continued  Captain  Mazagan,  otherwise  Ibrahim  Abdel- 
khalik,  who  had  been  the  bearer  of  the  letter  to  the 
commander  on  board  of  the  Guardian-Mother,  "  For 
a  time  it  puzzled  my  friend  the  Pacha  and  myself  to 
understand  how  you  happened  to  be  ready  for  us 
every  time  we  met,  and  why  no  notice  was  taken  of 
the  letter  of  His  Highness,  Abdallah,  delivered  on 
board  of  vour  steamer." 


OVERTURE  FROM  THE  CillEIT  CONEiPIilATOR      239 

"  Then  you  understand  the  matter  now  ?  "  queried 
Louis. 

"Perfectly;  as  soon  as  it  occurred  to  me  that  an 
American  was  close  by  the  Pacha  and  myself  while 
we  were  talking  in  the  cabinet  at  Gallipoli,  it  all 
became  plain." 

"  Then  you  were  very  imprudent  to  talk  over  your 
wicked  plans  almost  in  the  presence  of  a  stranger," 
suggested  the  young  na.bob. 

"We  were  speaking  French,  and  did  not  dream 
that  any  one  in  the  cafe  in  Gallipoli  could  understand 
a  word  we  said.  But  I  have  since  learned  that  the 
young  millionaire  with  a  million  and  a  half  could 
speak  French  as  perfectly  as  he  can  English,"  added 
the  Moor. 

"  You  flatter  me,  though  I  will  not  deny  that  I  can 
get  along  with  the  language,  as  you  did  in  the  boudoir 
of  our  ship." 

"  You  are  too  cunning  for  us,  Mr.  Belgrave,  and  I 
have  become  weary  of  trying  to  do  what  the  Pacha 
employed  me  to  accomplish." 

"  Where  is  His  Highness  now  ? "  asked  Louis 
bluntly. 

"  At  home  in  Mogadore,  where  he  was  called  by 
his  government ;  and  I  believe  he  is  in  command  of 
the  Morrocan  army  by  this  time." 

"  But  his  steam-yacht  is  at  Eosetta,"  added  one  of 
the  intended  victims  of  the  conspiracy. 

"  How  well  you  are  informed  !  " 

"  We   know  all   about   your  movements.      But  do 


240  UP  A^^D  DO^YN  the  nile 

jou  expect  me  to  believe  the  Pacha  has  returned  to 
Morocco  ?  " 

Instead  of  answering  the  question,  Captain  Maz- 
agan  took  a  letter  from  his  pocket  and  handed  it 
to  Louis.  It  was  postmarked  at  Mogadore  in  French 
pjid  in  English.  He  was  requested  to  open  and  read 
it,  as  it  was  written  in  French  ;  and  this  evidence 
satisfied  him  that  the  conspirator  had  spoken  the 
truth. 

"I  am  in  command  of  the  Fatime,  with  orders  to 
convey  any  passengers  I  may  have  to  Mogadore, 
where  I  shall  be  paid  in  full  for  my  services,"  added 
the  conspirator.  "In  Egypt  you  have  foiled  me 
completely." 

"  Then  I  trust  you  will  return  to  Morocco  and  report 
accordingly,"  suggested  Louis. 

"  But  I  cannot  afford  to  do  that,"  protested  Captain 
Mazagan.  "  I  left  my  steamer  four  months  ago  to 
enter  the  service  of  the  Pacha,  and  he  was  to  pay  me 
two  hundred  thousand  francs  if  I  succeeded,  and  half 
that  if  I  failed,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Then  you  had  better  sail  for  Mogadore,  and  accept 
the  price  of  your  failure,"  added  Louis. 

"  Not  at  all ;  I  have  been  looking  for  you,  for 
Captain  Ringgold  is  an  unreasonable  and  bull-headed 
man,  and  it  seemed  useless  to  talk  with  him,  in  order 
to  make  what  you  Americans  call  a  compromise." 

"  And  that  is  your  business  with  me  ?  " 

"  Precisely ;  and  I  think  we  shall  be  able  to  come  to 
an  arrangement." 


OVERTURE  FilOM  THE  CHIEF  CO^SriilATOll      241 

"I  think  not." 

"  I  don^t  ask  you  to  pay  me  the  full  amount  the 
Pacha  promised  me ;  only  the  half  I  was  to  get  if 
unsuccessful.  His  Highness  will  pay  me  the  other 
half." 

"  You  are  a  bigger  villain  even  than  I  supposed,  for 
you  are  as  ready  to  plunder  your  friend  as  your 
enemy  !  "  exclaimed  Louis.  "  But  here  comes  Captain 
Einggold,  and  you  had  better  make  your  offer  to 
him." 

But  instead  of  doing  this,  as  Louis  knew  he  would 
not,  Captain  Mazagan  abruptly  rose  from  his  seat 
and  disappeared  in  the  crowd,  followed  by  Monsieur 
Ulbach. 


242  UP   Als^D  DOVv'K   T1:1E   KILE 


CHAPTEE  XXYI 

THE    PROCESSION    FOR    THE    PYRAMIDS 

Captain  Ringgold  had  come  out  to  walk  in  the 
Ezbekiyeh  with  the  "  Cupids,"  as  the  conductor,  be- 
hind their  backs,  called  Dr.  Hawks  and  Uncle  Moses. 
He  promptly  recognized  the  Moor  and  the  Frenchman, 
seated  on  the  bench  with  Louis  and  Felix.  He  was 
greatly  astonished;  but  he  could  say  nothing  in  the 
presence  of  his  two  companions,  who  supposed  the 
two  strangers  were  guests  at  the  hotel,  or  some  chance 
acquaintances  the  young  men  had  made. 

In  the  evening  Louis  found  an  opportunity  to  speak 
to  the  commander  in  regard  to  the  interview  with  the 
enemy,  and  he  related  minutely  how  it  had  happened, 
confining  himself  to  the  facts,  without  comment  upon 
them. 

"When  you  came  in  sight  with  the  'Cupids,'  I 
advised  Captain  Mazagan  to  sjoeak  to  you  in  regard 
to  his  proposition ;  but  instead  of  doing  so  he  and  his 
assistant  took  to  their  heels  and  disappeared  in  the 
crowd,"  Louis  concluded. 

"  You  could  have  given  him  my  answer  as  well  as  I 
could  myself,  for  you  knew  what  ^t  would  have  been," 
replied  the  captain. 


THE  PPcOCESSION   ron   THE   PYP.Ar.IIDS       240 

"I  did  not  give  him  a  particle  of  encoiiragement, 
and  I  told  him  he  was  a  bigger  villain  than  I  had 
supposed  even,  for  he  was  as  ready  to  plunder  his 
friend  as  his  enemy,"  added  Louis. 

"  You  told  him  the  truth  ;  but  I  think,  if  I  had  not 
interrupted  the  interview,  that  he  would  have  tried  to 
convince  you  that  it  would  be  wdse  and  prudent  for 
you  to  use  your  influence  to  have  his  proposition  ac- 
cepted," continued  the  commander.  ••  I  am  not  your 
guardian  or  trustee ;  but  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I 
would  give  up  the  voyage  and  return  to  Xew  York, 
before  I  would  yield  a  point,  or  suffer  you  to  be  black- 
mailed by  these  villains.  Even  if  there  were  no  prin- 
ciple in  the  matter,  to  pay  a  dollar  for  immunity  from 
the  persecutions  of  such  reprobates  is  to  open  a  chan- 
nel for  thousands  to  flow  out  in  the  same  direction. 
Perhaps  your  mother  and  Uncle  Moses,  whom  this 
business  directly  concerns  rather  than  myself,  might 
be  induced  to  pay  the  money  in  order  to  prevent  the 
voyage  from  being  broken  up ;  and  it  would  be  im- 
moral and  wicked  to  do  so,  to  say  nothing  of  merely 
worldly  policy." 

"  You  may  be  very  sure  that  no  word  of  mine  will 
induce  my  mother  or  my  trustee  to  do  anything  of  the 
kind  ;  and  I  should  protest  against  it,"  replied  Louis 
vigorously. 

"  But  I  think  this  proposition  means  something ;  for 
it  looks  as  though  the  conspirators  had  reached  the 
end  of  their  rope,  and  are  ready  to  resort  to  even 
more  desperate  measures  in  case  of  a  refusal,  and  we 


244  UP    AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

must  be  all  the  more  guarded  in  regard  to  traps  and 
tricks,"  continued  Captain  Einggold.  "  You  are  in- 
clined to  walk  with  Miss  Blanche,  and  she  is  as  much 
inclined  to  these  promenades  as  you  are ;  and  under 
ordinary  circumstances  there  is  not  the  least  objection 
to  them.  On  the  trip  up  the  Nile,  the  steamers  lie 
up  at  night,  and  in  the  evening  parties  usually  stroll 
about  on  the  shore.  You  must  not  wander  about  with 
the  young  lady  away  from  the  rest  of  the  party.  As 
I  did  in  the  Archipelago,  I  shall  use  extraordinary 
precautions,  even  without  knowing  here  in  what  direc- 
tion to  look  for  an  enemy.  Be  wise,  Louis,  and  don't 
be  too  proud  to  be  extremely  cautious." 

Louis  determined  to  profit  by  the  advice  for  the 
safety  of  the  fair  maiden ;  but  he  felt  abundantly  able 
to  protect  himself  even  from  such  desperate  foes  as 
Captain  Mazagan.  The  interview  terminated,  and 
Louis  slept  as  well  that  night  as  usual.  The  next 
day  the  tourists  were  to  visit  the  pyramids  of  Gizeh. 
As  the  steamer  was  all  ready  for  her  passengers  for 
the  voyage  up  the  river,  the  commander  had  decided 
to  leave  what  remained  to  be  seen  of  Cairo  until  the 
return  from  the  First  Cataract,  which  was  as  far  as  he 
proposed  to  go. 

It  was  emphatically  a  miscellaneous  procession  that 
was  drawn  up  in  front  of  Shepheard's  Hotel  on  Monday 
morning  for  the  trip  to  the  desert.  The  weather  was 
mild  and  pleasant,  neither  too  hot,  nor  too  cool.  The 
wagonette  was  at  the  head,  ready  for  its  passengers. 
Four  camels  stood  ready  to  receive  such  riders  as  had 


THE    PROCESi^ION    FOR    THE    PYRAMIDS       245 

the  temerity  to  mount  them.  Two  Arabian  horses, 
saddled,  one  for  a  lady,  and  about  a  dozen  donkeys 
with  their  boy  drivers,  completed  the  procession. 

Mr.  Hornbrook  was  on  the  ground,  impatient  at  the 
delay  of  a  couple  of  ladies  who  had  not  yet  appeared, 
for  he  was  a  very  faithful  conductor,  and  made  it  a 
point  to  expedite  all  business  in  which  he  Avas  profes- 
sionally engaged,  as  he  termed  it.  He  was  standing 
by  the  wagonette,  which  was  a  Gaze  institution ;  and 
though  he  was  always  very  polite  and  kind,  he  was 
evidently  vexed  at  the  delay. 

"  Where  are  the  other  two  ladies,  Mrs.  Woolridge  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  Mrs.  Belgrave  and  Blanche  have  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  preparing  themselves  with  suitable  dresses 
for  this  occasion;  but  a  couple  of  ladies  who  are 
going  to  the  Holy  Land  will  lend  them  riding-habits, 
and  they  will  be  down  in  a  moment,"  replied  Mrs. 
Woolridge. 

"  Great  bodies  move  slowly,  but  the  Cupids  are 
liere,"  added  the  conductor,  ^^  and  the  others  ought  to 
be  here." 

•'•  Whom  do  you  call  the  Cuj)ids,  Mr.  Scarabseus  ?  " 
inquired  Dr.  Hawkes,  who  had  just  come  up  behind 
him. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Doctor,"  stammered  the  guide 

"  But  who  are  the  Cupids  ?  "  persisted  the  surgeon 

"  It  is  a  name  I  had  very  innocently  applied  to  you 
and  the  other  stout  gentleman." 

"  Cupids  !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor,  doubling  himself 


246  UP   Ais-D   DOWN   THE   NILE 

up  as  much  as  his  aldermanic  organ  would  permit, 
and  laughing  with  something  more  than  a  chuckle. 
"  Brother  Avoirdupois  !  "  he  shouted  to  Uncle  Moses, 
who  was  studying  the  structure  of  one  of  the  camels, 
"  Brother  Cupid  !  " 

'■'  Brother  what  this  time  ?  " 

"  Brother  Cupid  ;  our  gentlemanly  conductor  calls 
you  and  me  '  Cupids  ! '  "  exclaimed  Dr.  Hawkes,  doub- 
ling himself  up  and  roaring  with  laughter  again  ;  and 
he  was  immediately  joined  by  Uncle  Moses  in  a  simi- 
lar cachinnatory  display.  "  Have  you  found  any  pin- 
feathers  on  your  shoulders  ?  ^' 

"  We  shall  need  the  wings  of  eagles,"  replied  the 
lawyer,  chuckling  so  that  he  could  hardly  speak. 
"  You  must  have  thrown  a  dart  that  pierced  the 
bosom  of  Captain  Kinggold,  Brother  Cupid." 

The  commander  actually  blushed,  but  Mrs.  Belgrave 
was  not  present  to  observe  the  telltale  crimson. 

"I  noticed  that  you  were  very  busy  studying  the 
build  of  one  of  those  camels,"  added  the  doctor. 

"  That  belongs  to  my  department,"  interposed  Mr. 
Woolridge.  "  The  camel  is  a  very  interesting  beast, 
though  he  is  not  so  handsome  as  the  horse.  He  is  a 
big  creature,  noted  for  his  humps  ;  some  have  one, 
and  the  Bactrians,  such  as  we  saw  Saturday,  have 
two,  and  can  carry  half  a  ton  on  the  back.  These  here 
are  often  called  dromedaries  ;  but  some  of  the  writers 
say  they  are  a  different  breed.  The  two-humpers  jog 
along  about  two  miles  and  a  half  an  hour,  take  in  a 
bucket  of  water  at  a  drink,  and  can  stand  it  for  three 


THE  PROCESSION   FOR   THE  PYRAMIDS       247 

>lays  without  taking  another  drink  ;  but  you  should 
water  your  camels  every  day,  Dr.  Hawkes." 

"  I  will  try  to  do  so,"  laughed  the  doctor,  '^  when  I 
am  within  ten  miles  of  an  oasis  vrith  a  spring  in  it.*' 

"  The  dromedary  is  good  for  ten  miles  an  hour,  and 
can  ma,ke  a  hundred  miles  in  a  day,  if  there  is  a  ten- 
hour  law  here.  Camels  don't  eat  meat  any  more  than 
the  professor  does  on  Friday,  and  gets  along  on  very 
little  vegetable  food.  A  thousand  or  more  Bactrians 
may  journey  across  the  desert  in  one  string ;  but  it 
doesn't  take  another  thousand  to  carry  hay  and  grain 
for  them,  for  they  feed  on  the  meanest  kind  of  vege- 
tables, including  dry  sticks  when  greens  are  scarce. 

"  They  call  him  •  the  ship  of  the  desert ; '  yet  he 
don't  beat  to  windward  in  a  sirocco,  but  sticks  his 
nose  into  the  sand  and  weathers  the  gale.  He  is 
something  like  the  greenhorn  who,  when  a  gale  came 
on,  and  he  was  ordered  aloft,  proposed  to  turn  in  and 
call  it  half  a  day.  He  might  be  called  the  reindeer 
of  the  desert,  for  he  does  as  much  for  the  Arabs  as 
that  animal  does  for  the  Laplanders.  His  flesh  is 
eaten,  his  milk  is  made  into  butter  and  cheese,  his 
hair  is  woven  into  shawls,  his  skin  is  tanned,  and  he 
furnishes  the  fuel  for  cooking,  and  the  fat  from  the 
hump  furnishes  the  oil  for  the  lamps,  I  have  got  rid 
of  one  of  my  animals,  and  here  come  the  missing 
la  lies." 

The  auditors,  including  not  a  few  that  did  not  be- 
long to  the  party,  applauded  vigorously,  even  to  Mr. 
Hornbrook,  vexed  as  he  was  at  tiie  delay.     The  two 


248  UP   AND   DOWN  THE  NILE 

ladies  appeared  in  the  borrowed  dresses  of  the  Syrian 
party,  and  they  seemed  to  have  been  made  for  them. 
^ Captain  Ringgold  gallantly  assisted  Mrs.  Belgrave  to 
■mount  the  white  Arabian  steed  that  was  waiting  for 
her.  He  had  life  and  spirit,  though  he  was  as  gentle 
as  a  lamb.  The  commander  mounted  the  other  horse, 
and  galloped  off  with  the  lady,  both  proving  that  they 
were  at  home  in  the  saddle. 

One  of  the  camels  was  brought  up,  and  Uncle 
Moses  was  the  first  to  "  go  aloft "  "  on  the  ship  of 
the  desert,"  as  he  termed  it.  The  doctor  had 
"  stumped  "  him  to  ride  on  a  camel  to  the  Pyramids, 
which  he  agreed  to  do  if  Brother  Adipose  Tissue 
would  do  the  same.  It  was  a  mutual  challenge,  and 
perhaps  neither  of  them  enjoyed  the  prospect  of  such 
a  ride,  but  their  pride  closed  every  avenue  of  re- 
treat. Mr.  Hornbrook  and  the  camel  driver  superin- 
tended the  operation  of  mounting,  and  it  produced  no 
end  of  laughter  among  the  observers.  All  the  guests 
in  the  hotel  had  turned  out  to  see  the  performance, 
and  it  must  go  on. 

"  Look  out  for  yourself,  Uncle  Moses,  for  that  ship 
will  soon  get  a  heavy  sea,"  said  the  commander  as  he 
and  Mrs.  Belgrave  rode  up  to  the  scene.  "  Hold  on 
hard  at  the  life-lines." 

The  unwieldy  animal  had  dropped  his  calloused 
knees  on  the  ground,  and  the  cushioned  and  be-rugged 
saddle  frame  was  ready  to  be  occupied.  The  stout 
gentleman  grasped  the  two  crutches  as  directed,  and 
put  his  left  knee  on  the  cushion.     The  next  movement 


Tu:^  PiiOvESoiON  ron  the  PYi:A:>iiDS     249 

was  a  dilficult  one  for  a  man  of  his  obesity,  for  it 
consisted  in  swinging  Ms  right  leg  over  the  hind- 
quarters of  the  camel,  and  dropping  it  into  the  space 
inside  of  the  forward  crutch.  It  produced  a  great 
deal  of  laughing  among  the  bystanders,  but  he  accom- 
plished it  bravely,  though  with  a  mighty  effort. 

"  Hold  on  with  all  your  might  at  the  crutches,  Mr. 
Cupid  !  "  said  the  guide. 

The  camel  raised  his  stern  end,  and  it  looked  as 
though  Uncle  Moses  would  be  pitched  over  the  head 
of  the  beast ;  but  he  saved  himself  by  lying  down  on 
his  forward  crutch.  Then  he  leaned  back  as  far  as 
his  heavy  frame  would  permit,  as  the  "  ship  came 
up  on  an  even  keel,"  as  Scott  stated.  Then  followed 
a  volley  of  tumultuous  applause,  in  which  the  boys 
and  the  four  sailors  did  the  greater  part.  The  hero 
of  this  exploit  raised  his  hat,  and  acknowledged  the 
salute  that  greeted  his  success,  as  the  second  camel 
was  brought  up  for  Dr.  Hawkes. 

"  You  are  shaking  in  your  shoes.  Brother  Cupid  !  " 
shouted  the  lawyer,  happy  that  he  had  passed  the 
ordeal.  "There  is  room  in  the  wagonette  for  you 
though,  and  you  can  let  one  of  the  Jack  tars  go 
through  the  sacrificial  performance  for  you." 

"  Never  !  "  responded  the  doctor.  "  I  will  ride  this 
camel  to  Gizeh,  or  leave  my  adipose  in  the  desert  for 
the  vultures  ! " 

He  went  through  the  performance  very  well  till  he 
came  to  the  swinging  of  the  right  leg  over  the  for- 
ward crutch ;  but  either  because  the  beast  started  a 


250  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

little,  or  because  lie  loosed  his  hold,  he  rolled  off  the 
saddle  like  a  lump  of  lead.  The  sailors  sprang  to 
his  assistance,  and  "  put  him  on  his  pins,"  as  Seaman 
Knott  phrased  it. 

"  That's  all  owing  to  the  quarter  of  an  ounce  which 
my  weight  exceeds  that  of  my  Brother  Avoirdupois 
Cupid,"  returned  the  surgeon,  who  did  not  appear  to 
be  injured  at  all.  "  If  I  had  been  as  light  a  body  as 
he  is,  I  could  have  done  it  as  well  as  he  did ; "  and  he 
hustled  and  puffed  around  to  the  other  side  of  the 
camel,  and  grasped  the  crutches  again. 

"I  hope  you  are  not  hurt.  Brother  Cupid,"  said 
Uncle  Moses  seriously. 

"  Not  the  least  bit  in  the  world  ;  my  adiposis  saved 
me.  The  victory  is  not  yet  to  the  light  body,"  he 
replied. 

This  time  he  declined  to  follow  the  orthodox  direc- 
tions of  the  conductor,  and  did  not  attempt  to  swing 
his  leg  over  the  rear  crutch  ;  but,  holding  on  with  both 
hands  at  the  front  ci-utch,  he  sprang  into  the  saddle  as 
he  would  have  seated  himself  on  a  high  table.  His 
success  was  roundly  cheered,  and  he  made  a  humorous 
speech  to  the  crowd. 

"  This  is  worth  more  than  seeing  Egypt,"  said 
Scott. 

"  But  these  dignified  gentlemen  will  not  perform 
for  us  every  day  in  the  week,''  replied  Felix. 

Miss  Blanche  had  taken  a  fancy  to  ride  a  camel, 
and  after  Mrs.  Woolridge  had  tried  in  vain  to  have 
her  substitute  a  horse  or  a  donkey  she  had  consented. 


"Louis  assisted  her  to  her  seat."     Page  2Si. 


THE   PIIOCESSION    FOR   THE   PYilAMIDS       251 

But  the  camel  driver  had  a  different  programme  for  a 
lady,  and  Louis  assisted  her  to  her  seat  just  as  he 
would  have  done  if  the  steed  had  been  a  horse,  though 
he  was  obliged  to  lift  her  much  higher ;  but  she  was 
safely  mounted,  and  the  crowd  cheered  again.  Louis 
made  easy  work  of  getting  into  his  seat. 

The  boys  and  the  sailors  mounted  the  dozen  don- 
keys, and  the  conductor  started  the  procession.  The 
party  took  the  whole  thing  as  a  frolic,  the  introduc- 
tory scenes  leading  in  that  direction.  Scott  was 
especially  hilarious,  and  the  young  men  and  the  sea- 
men yelled  forth  their  delight.  The  crowd  cheered, 
and  it  was  certainly  a  lively  occasion.  Eirst  came  the 
commander  and  Mrs.  Belgrave,  then  the  four  camels, 
then  the  wagonette,  and  the  boys  and  sailors  brought 
up  the  rear,  all  being  in  high  glee. 


252  UP   AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

A   LECTURE    FROM    THE    BACK    OF    A    CAMEL 

The  procession  contained  no  little  variety,  and  it 
was  novel  enough  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
natives  as  it  passed  through  the  streets.  The  occu- 
pants of  the  houses  could  see  without  being  seen,  and 
the  tourists  knew  not  how  many  persons  observed 
them  as  they  were  passing.  Some  of  the  younger 
people  about  the  hotel  had  mounted  donkeys,  drawn 
by  the  hilarity  of  this  portion  of  the  procession, 
though  they  went  no  farther  than  the  bridge. 

"How  do  you  like  riding  on  a  camel.  Miss 
Blanche  ?  "  asked  Louis,  after  they  had  gone  a  short 
distance  and  the  mirth  of  the  donkey  brigade  had 
begun  to  subside. 

"  I  think  it  is  real  fun  so  far,"  replied  the  fair 
maiden  with  a  silvery  laugh.  "  But  the  motion  is 
very  strange,  and  I  should  think  it  would  tire  one  out 
in  a  little  while." 

"  I  am  told  that  when  one  gets  used  to  it  the  motion 
seems  easy  enough  ;  the  camel  takes  long  strides,  and 
that  produces  a  different  feeling  from  the  gait  of  a 
horse.  Perhaps  you  are  a  little  nervous  j  but  you 
can't  fall  off  if  you  try  to  do  so." 


A  LECTUEE  FEOM  THE  BACK  OF  A  CAMEL      253 

"  I  shall  not  try,  and  I  feel  safe  enough.  But  how 
will  it  be  when  we  move  faster  ?  " 

'"'  I  don't  think  we  shall  go  any  faster.  Your  father 
gave  us  a  very  interesting  talk  about  the  camel  while 
we  were  waiting,  and  he  said  the  dromedary  could 
travel  ten  miles  an  hour ;  that  is  much  faster  than 
Ave  usually  ride  a  horse,  and  I  should  suppose  the 
motion  at  that  speed  must  be  tremendous  compared 
with  that  of  a  walk.  But  I  don't  think  we  are  likely 
to  go  any  faster  than  now." 

'•  How  far  is  it  to  the  Pyramids,  Mr.  Belgrave  ?  " 

"  I  believe  it  is  about  ten  miles." 

"  Then  it  will  take  us  four  hours  to  get  there,"  said 
the  young  lady  with  a  look  of  dismay. 

"  If  you  get  tired  of  the  camel  before  we  come  to 
the  Pyramids,  the  wagonette  is  large  enough  to  hold 
all  the  party,  and  you  can  change  at  any  time,"  sug- 
gested Louis. 

"  But  I  should  not  like  to  back  out,  for  mother 
would  laugh  at  me." 

When  they  came  to  the  bridge  over  the  Nile  it  was 
not  a  new  thing  to  them,  for  they  had  crossed  it  to 
Blilak,  as  the  island,  about  three  miles  in  length,  is 
called.  The  bridge,  built  by  French  engineers,  crosses 
this  island,  and  is  a  little  more  than  two-thirds  of  a 
mile  in  length. 

'•  I  took  a  donkey  early  Saturday  morning  and  came 
over  here  with  Don,"  said  Louis.  "  This  bridge  was 
crowded  then  with  peasants,  who  were  paying  the 
duties  on  the  provisions  they  were  taking  to  market." 


254  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

"  Duties  ?  "  queried  the  lady. 

"You  remember  the  octroi  in  Paris,  by  which  a  tax 
is  levied  and  paid  on  all  market  wares  taken  into  the 
city,  and  it  is  about  the  same  in  most  of  the  large 
cities  of  Europe.  Something  has  to  be  paid  on  every 
leg  of  mutton  and  bottle  of  wine  that  passes  the 
gates." 

After  crossing  the  bridge  over  the  western  branch 
of  the  river,  they  came  to  several  palaces,  surrounded 
by  the  usual  high  walls,  and  with  beautiful  gardens. 
Then  a  canal  was  followed  for  a  short  distance,  with 
the  railroad  to  Upper  Egypt  on  the  other  side ;  the 
procession  then  turned  into  a  road  shaded  with  trees, 
which  looked  very  inviting. 

"  The  Pyramids  !  "  exclaimed  Louis,  as  an  opening 
presented  them  to  their  view. 

"  They  don't  look  so  big  as  I  thought  they  would," 
added  Blanche. 

"  They  are  still  five  or  six  miles  from  us.  I  believe 
we  are  to  have  an  oration  from  Uncle  Moses  in  rela- 
tion to  them  Avlien  we  get  there,  and  then  we  shall 
know  all  about  them.  Does  the  motion  of  the  camel 
trouble  you  much  now.  Miss  Blanche  ?  "  asked  Louis. 

"Hardly  at  all,  for  I  have  got  used  to  it,  and  I 
don't  believe  it  will  tire  me  any  more  than  riding  in 
that  wagonette  would,"  she  replied. 

"The  road  is  bad  nearer  the  Pyramids,  and  your 
father  and  mother  and  the  professor  will  get  well 
shaken  up,  while  the  ship  of  the  desert  will  make 
good  weather  of  it.     We  shall  be  tormented  by  the 


A  LECTUliS  rilOM  THE  BACK  OF  A  CAMEL      255 

Ar^rbs  as  we  approach  our  destination.  The  rascals 
carry  sand  to  the  road  in  order  to  make  their  assist- 
ance necessary  to  carriages  containing  visitors." 

"  Where  do  you  find  out  so  much  about  all  these 
things,  Mr.  Belgrave  ?  "  asked  the  young  lady  with  a 
smile  of  approbation. 

"  I  have  been  reading  up,  as  I  always  do,  if  I  have 
time,  in  regard  to  the  places  we  are  to  visit,"  replied 
Louis.  '•  Captain  Einggold  occasionally  reminds  me 
that  this  trip  around  the  world  is  not  simply  a  pleas- 
ure excursion,  and  that  with  me  it  takes  the  place  of 
a  college  course.  How  do  you  get  along  on  your 
desert  steed.  Uncle  Moses  ?  "  he  called  to  his  trustee, 
who  rode  in  front  of  him  with  the  surgeon. 

"  Excellently  well,"  returned  the  lawyer.  '•  My 
brother  Cupid  feels  just  now  as  though  his  wings  were 
fully  grown,  and  he  were  flying." 

'^  We  like  it  so  well  that  we  are  tempted  to  buy  a 
couple  of  dromedaries  and  make  a  trip  across  the 
Great  Desert  to  the  Atlantic  coast,"  added  the  doctor. 
"  It  is  not  a  bad  way  to  travel." 

"  Halt !  "  shouted  the  commander,  as  he  drew  up 
his  steed  at  the  side  of  the  road,  and  the  procession 
obeyed  the  order.  "  Are  you  quite  ready.  Uncle 
Moses  ?  " 

"  As  ready  as  I  ever  shall  be,"  replied  the  legal 
gentleman,  as  the  captain  rode  up  to  him. 

The  riders  of  camels,  horses,  and  donkeys  were  then 
assembled  around  the  wagonette. 

"  This  is  a  shady  place ;  and,  as  we  shall  soon  be 


256  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

vexed  by  the  wild  Arabs,  I  have  concluded  that  it  is 
best  for  us  to  hear  tlM  gentleman  to  whom  this  subject 
was  assigned  in  this  place,  where  the  Pyramids  are 
in  plain  sight,  rather  than  after  we  get  into  the 
desert,'^  said  the  commander. 

"  You  can  all  see  this  chain  of  hills  in  front  of  us," 
added  the  conductor,  who  had  been  consulted  in 
regard  to  the  halt.  "  This  chain  of  elevations  is  the 
boundary  line  between  the  cultivated  lands  of  Egypt 
and  the  Libyan  Desert,  which  is  a  part  of  Sahara, 
extending  very  nearly  across  the  continent.  That  is 
all  from  me." 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  present  you  to  Judge  Scar- 
burn,"  added  the  captain. 

"  Judge  of  a  good  dinner,  and  we  get  plenty  of  them 
on  board  of  the  Guardian-Mother,"  said  the  lawyer. 
And  he  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  admit  that  he  had 
sat  on  the  bench  for  a  term,  though  those  from  Von 
Blonk  Park  knew  it  very  well.  "  I  had  occasion  to 
speak  seven  hours  once  in  a  case  I  was  trying ;  and  if 
I  should  do  justice  to  my  present  subject,  I  should 
want  all  of  that  time." 

^^  Don't !  "  exclaimed  some  irreverent  person  whose 
voice  was  not  identified,  though  it  was  supposed  to  be 
Mr.  Hornbrook. 

'^  I  won't !  I  solemnly  promise  not  to  use  up  more 
than  one-fourteenth  of  that  time,  though  I  should 
lose  my  case,  as  I  probably  shall.  Stepping  outside 
of  what  is  mixed  about  the  history  of  these  big  monu- 
ments of  the  ancient  world,"  continued  the  speaker, 


A  LECTURE  FKOM  THE  BACK  OF  A  CAMEL      257 

striking  into  his  subject,  "the  biggest  pyramid  you 
see  before  you  was  built  by  Cheops  about  three  thou- 
sand years  before  the  birth  of  Christ.  This  is  the 
figure  of  Lepsius,  though  the  professor's  late  friend 
Mariette  makes  it  twelve  hundred  more.  The  next  in 
size  is  that  of  Chephren  (commonly  called  Cephrenes), 
a  brother  of  Cheops,  and  the  smallest  that  of  Myceri- 
nus.  All  of  them  were  erected  in  the  same  century  ; 
and  it  is  not  possible  to  give  the  day  of  the  month  on 
which  any  one  of  them  was  begun  or  finished.  Pyra- 
mids continued  to  be  built  down  to  2300  b.c.  ;  and 
you  will  see  some  comparatively  insignificant  ones  in 
other  parts  of  Egypt. 

^'Sitting  on  the  back  of  a  camel  is  not  exactly  a 
desirable  position  for  the  delivery  of  a  lecture,"  con- 
tinued the  speaker,  as  he  took  a  paper  from  his 
pocket. 

"  You  can  dismount  and  stand  in  the  wagonette," 
suggested  the  commander. 

"  No,  I  thank  you ;  I  should  have  to  mount  again, 
and  the  experience  of  my  Brother  Cupid  is  an  impres- 
sive warning  to  me." 

■"  You  weigh  a  quarter  of  an  ounce  less  than  I  do, 
and  you  could  do  it  safely,"  added  the  doctor. 

"  Herodotus,  who  travelled  in  Egypt,  says  it  took  a 
hundred  thousand  men  three  months  in  the  year  for 
ten  years  upon  each  of  the  jobs  of  quarrying  the  stone, 
carting  them  to  the  river,  and  ferrying  them  across  it, 
for  the  stone  was  taken  from  the  east  side  of  the 
iSrile.     They  did   not   have  newspapers  five  hundred 


258  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

years  before  Christ,  or  I  should  suppose  lie  got  his 
fact  from  a  sensational  sheet.  And  this  work  was  not 
done  on  the  pyramid,  but  only  on  the  road  from  tlie 
Nile  to  this  place.  Then  it  took  Cheops  twenty  years 
to  build  the  pyramid  itself ;  and  the  stories  are  decid- 
edly mixed  just  now,  but  when  we  go  around  the 
world  next  time  they  may  get  settled. 

"  The  ancient  Egyptians  believed  that  in  order  to 
save  the  soul  the  body  must  be  preserved,  for  they 
accepted  the  immortality  of  the  spirit.  Now,  Cheops 
dug  down  deep,  and  cut  his  tomb  out  of  the  solid 
rock,  and  then  planted  the  pyramid  on  the  top  of  it, 
in  order  safely  to  keep  his  remains  from  returning  to 
their  original  dust.  More  than  this,  he  had  to  put  his 
body  out  of  the  reach  of  the  inundation,  and  selected 
this  high  ground  in  the  desert.  What  Cheops  did  for 
his  own  body  Chephren  and  others  did  for  theirs.  It 
was  not  kings  alone  who  looked  out  for  the  immor- 
tality of  their  bodies,  but  the  '  bloated  aristocrats '  of 
the  time  used  up  some  of  the  coupons  on  their  bonds 
in  hewing  out  tombs  from  the  solid  rock  in  dry 
places. 

"  But  kings  and  magnates  have  been  euchred  in  the 
flight  of  time,  for  enterprising  seekers  for  truth  have 
opened  these  tombs,  even  wlien  under  a  pyramid,  and 
mummies,  fixed  up  to  last  forever,  are  to  be  found  in 
all  the  museums  of  the  world ;  and  one  of  them  with- 
out a  mummy  is  not  of  much  account  in  these  times. 
Our  beloved  commander  saw  a  room  full  of  them  in 
the  University  of  Kazan  in  Russia.     The  Persians 


A  LECTURE  FEOM  THE  BACK  OF  A  CAMEL      259 

first  began  to  open  these  tombs  ;  and  from  their  time 
to  ours,  natives  and  foreigners  have  continued  to  do 
the  same,  sometimes  in  search  of  hidden  knowledge, 
and  sometimes  in  search  of  buried  treasure,"  and 
the  speaker  appeared  to  have  finished. 

"  But  who  was  Belzoni,  Uncle  Moses  ?  "  asked  Scott. 

"  It  would  take  me  the  whole  seven  hours  to  tell 
you  what  little  I  knoAv  about  pyramids,  and  those 
who  have  opened  them  ;  and  if  T  gave  their  names, 
there  are  no  reporters  present,  and  they  would  not 
get  into  the  papers  in  Cairo,  and  so  it  would  do  no 
good,"  replied  the  speaker.  '"'Belzoni  was  the  son 
of  a  poor  barber,  and  was  born  in  Italy  in  1778.  He 
travelled  a  great  deal,  and  brought  up  in  Egypt,  where 
he  came  at  the  invitation  of  Mohammed  Ali  as  an 
engineer  to  irrigate  the  land  around  Cairo.  He  did 
this  job  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  employer,  though 
the  water  plan  was  abandoned  by  the  Viceroy.  Then 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  antiquities  of  Egypt, 
and  became  a  great  tomb-opener,  as  well  as  a  distin- 
guished expert  in  his  chosen  specialty.  He  sent 
mummies  and  other  relics  of  Egyptian  history  to 
the  British  Museum,  where  they  were  the  lions  of 
the  day,  for  they  were  then  a  new  thing.  Horace 
Smith  wrote  a  famous  poem  addressed  to  a  mummy, 
v>^hich  still  lives  in  the  literature,  not  only  of  England, 
but  of  our  own  country." 

"  You  have  used  up  but  twenty  minutes  of  the  time 
you  claimed,  and  I  shall  invite  a  young  orator  we  have 
v.'ith  us,  whose  recitations  from  Byron  delighted  us  in 


200  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

Greece,  to  fill  up  the  other  ten  minutes.  Mr.  Morris 
Woolridge,  ladies  and  gentlemen/'  interposed  the 
commander. 

Morris  dismounted  from  his  donkey,  and  took  a 
stand  in  the  wagonette. 

"About  half  a  dozen  stanzas  will  fill  the  time," 
added  the  captain,  and  the  young  gentleman  began : 

"And  tliou  hast  walked  about  (liow  strange  a  story), 
In  Thebes' s  streets  three  thousand  years  ago, 
When  the  Memnonium  was  in  all  its  glory, 

And  Time  had  not  begun  to  overthrow 
Those  temples,  palaces,  and  piles  stupendous 
Of  which  the  very  ruins  are  tremendous ! 

Speak!  for  thou  long  enough  hath  acted  dummy; 

Thou  hast  a  tongue,  come,  let  us  hear  its  tune; 
Thou'rt  standing  on  thy  legs  above  ground,  mummy! 

Ke visiting  the  glimpses  of  the  moon, 
Not  like  thin  ghosts  of  disembodied  creatures. 
But  with  thy  bones  and  flesh,  and  limbs  and  features. 

Tell  us,  for  doubtless  thou  canst  recollect. 

To  whom  should  we  assign  the  Sphinx's  fame  ? 

Was  Cheops  or  Cephrenes  architect 

Of  either  pyramid  that  bears  his  name  ? 

Is  Pompey's  Pillar  really  a  misnomer  ? 

Had  Thebes  a  hundred  gates  as  sung  by  Homer  ? 

Statue  of  flesh  —  immortal  of  the  dead ! 

Imperishable  type  of  evanescence ! 
Posthumous  man,  who  quit'st  thy  narrow  bed. 

And  standest  undecayed  within  our  presence. 
Thou  wilt  hear  nothing  till  the  judgment  morning. 
When  the  £rreat  trump  shall  thrill  thee  with  its  w^aming. 


A  LECTUliE  FllOM  THE  liACK  OF  A  CAMEL      201 

Why  should  this  worthless  tegument  endure, 

If  its  undying  guest  be  lost  forever  ? 
Oh  let  us  keep  the  soul  embalmed  and  pure 

In  living  virtue,  that,  when  both  must  sever, 
Although  corruption  may  our  frame  consume, 
The  immortal  spirit  in  the  skies  may  bloom!  " 

The  young  orator  was  greeted  with  hearty  applause, 
as  he  descended  from  his  rostrum,  and  remounted  his 
donkey. 

"  The  last  verse  was  the  best  of  the  whole,"  Mrs. 
Blossom  ventured  to  declare,  and  perhaps  some  of  the 
party  agreed  with  her ;  for  it  corresponded  with  the 
spirit  of  the  present  age. 

The  procession  was  reformed  as  before,  except  that 
the  sailors  and  the  donkey-riders  were  placed  on  each 
flank,  the  line  of  march  was  taken  up  again,  and  in 
half  an  hour  they  encountered  the  troop  of  wild 
Arabs. 


262  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 


CHAPTEE  XXVIII 

ASCENT    OF    THE    PYRAMID    OF    CHEOPS 

The  caravan  had  hardly  emerged  from  the  shaded 
road  over  the  fertile  land  that  borders  the  Nile  before 
a  group  of  houses  was  seen ;  and  from  this  locality 
hardly  less  than  fifty  Arabs  emerged,  and  rushed  upon 
the  party  as  though  they  intended  to  annihilate  them. 
They  were  hungry  for  bakshish,  and  that  was  all  that 
ailed  them. 

"  Don't  give  them  a  millieme  !  "  shouted  Mr.  Horn- 
brook  from  the  wagonette.  "If  you  give  them  a 
penny  they  want  a  pound.  Don't  take  any  notice  of 
them  !  " 

Early  warning  had  been  given  to  the  members  of  the 
company  of  the  probable  assault  of  these  vagabonds, 
and  the  sailors  and  the  boys  had  armed  themselves 
with  sticks  at  the  halt.  The  commander  had  placed 
two  of  the  sailors  and  two  of  the  boys,  Don  taking 
the  place  of  Louis,  on  each  side  of  the  vehicle.  But 
the  assailants  all  appeared  on  one  side,  and  they  united 
as  the  beggars  approached. 

"  If  you  use  those  sticks,  don't  hit  them  over  the 
head,"   said  he   to   this  improvised   guard.      "Keep 


ASCENT    OF   THE   PYRAMID   OF    CHEOPS      263 

right  on,  and  don't  mind  them  unless  they  attempt  to 
break  through  your  line." 

They  came  with  open  palms  and  hands  extended, 
crying  out  for  bakshish.  The  captain's  order  was 
obeyed  to  the  letter,  and  the  guardsmen  hardly 
bestowed  a  glance  upon  the  vagabonds.  The  leader 
of  the  procession  continued  to  converse  with  the 
lady  at  his  side ;  for  she  was  somewhat  nervous  as  the 
Arabs  began  to  gather  on  the  flank  of  the  caravan, 
for  they  looked  as  though  they  were  capable  of  com- 
mitting acts  of  violence. 

'•Don't  be  in  the  slightest  degree  alarmed,  Mrs. 
Eelgrave.  There  is  no  possible  danger,"  said  Captain 
Einggold  to  her  in  the  most  assuring  tones.  "  You 
have  read  about  the  Arabs  of  the  desert,  and  perhaps 
have  admired  some  of  their  traits  of  character,  as  you 
have  about  the  noble  Indians  of  our  Western  territo- 
ries ;  but  our  savages  are  a  higher  class  of  men  than 
these  vagabond  sons  of  the  desert,  who  have  but  one 
object  in  life,  and  that  is  haksMsh.  We  could  scatter 
the  whole  of  them  in  two  minutes  if  we  were  so  dis- 
posed; but  we  do  not  care  to  make  trouble." 

The  beggars  were  not  satisfied  to  follow  on  the  out- 
side of  the  cavalcade.  Those  who  were  mounted  on 
the  camels  or  the  horses,  and  those  who  were  seated 
in  the  w^agonette,  looked  more  hopeful  in  the  matter 
of  "tips"  than  the  boys  and  the  sailors.  They 
wanted  to  get  at  them,  and  perhaps  expected  a  shower 
of  coppers  if  they  could  get  near  them. 

Suddenly  they  ma.ssed  themselves,  and  made   an 


264  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

attempt  to  crowd  through  the  guard  at  the  side  of  the 
only  vehicle  iu  the  procession.  They  seemed  to  be 
bothered  by  the  manner  in  which  the  visitors  had 
come,  for  parties  usually  appeared  in  carriages,  and 
with  no  outriders  to  block  their  way. 

"  Close  up  ! "  shouted  Knott,  as  soon  as  he  saw  what 
the  vagabonds  had  in  mind. 

''Mush  auzakf  Imshi  I  Imshi !  Ruh !  Ruh!^^ 
yelled  Don,  who  was  the  only  one  of  tlie  company 
dressed  in  Turkish  regimentals.  He  simply  intimated 
that  they  were  not  wanted,  and  ordered  them  to 
begone.  They  paid  no  attention  to  his  speeches,  but 
made  a  rush  to  get  nearer  to  the  wagonette. 

The  donkey-boys  knew  a  few  words  of  English,  and 
the  jolly  tars,  who  thought  the  whole  affair  was  fun, 
made  them  force  their  donkeys  upon  the  assailants. 
Then  the  sticks  came  into  play,  and  the  Arabs  were 
drummed  on  their  backs  and  limbs  till,  like  Cain, 
their  punishment  became  more  than  they  could  bear, 
and  they  fell  back.  They  seemed  to  be  rather  stupe- 
lied  by  the  reception  given  to  them.  They  looked 
aggrieved,  persecuted,  as  though  they  had  been  de- 
prived of  the  divine  right  to  extort  bakshish  from 
innocent  travellers,  and  they  wanted  to  be  ugly 
about  it. 

If  they  were  not  satisfied  with  the  situation,  they 
submitted  to  it  when  the  guard  fell  back,  and  brought 
up  the  rear  of  the  caravan.  They  doggedly  followed, 
as  though  they  had  not  lost  all  hope  of  reaching  the 
pockets  of  the  tourists.     Farther  along  the  head  of  the 


ASCENT    OF    THE   PYRAMID    OF    CHEOPS      2G5 

column  encountered  the  shiekh,  wlio  had  some  author- 
ity in  connection  with  the  visits  of  strangers  to  the 
Pyramids.  A  fee  was  paid  for  the  whole  company, 
and  half  a  dozen  of  the  Arabs  were  employed  to  assist 
those  who  wished  to  climb  the  sides  of  Cheops. 

In  places  the  desert  wind  drove  the  sand  upon  the 
road,  and  made  it  difficult  to  travel  for  the  wagonette, 
and  the  Arabs  had  assisted  the  breeze,  in  order  to 
render  their  help  necessary ;  but  the  sailors  kept 
them  at  a  distance,  and  the  vehicle  was  not  stopped, 
for  it  was  drawn  by  four  horses  and  had  a  light  load. 
The  Pyramids  of  Gizeh  are  on  an  elevated  plain,  not 
quite  a  mile  in  length  and  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in 
breadth,  which  is  gradually  ascended,  though  in  some 
places  it  is  a  headlong  steep.  When  the  sand  deep- 
ened and  the  rise  began,  the  vehicle  was  left  behind ; 
but  the  horses,  camels,  and  donkeys  were  compelled  to 
bear  their  burdens  up  to  the  base  of  Cheops. 

The  sailors  gave  up  their  steeds  to  the  party  in  the 
wagonette,  piloting  the  ladies,  and  holding  them  on  in 
their  places ;  for  they  could  only  sit  as  on  a  bench  in 
the  absence  of  side-saddles.  The  tars  were  glad  to 
walk,  for  it  was  even  greater  enjoyment  to  them  to 
take  charge  of  the  ladies  than  to  ride.  The  horses 
from  the  wagonette  were  taken  to  a  stable  provided 
for  their  use. 

"The  deserted  building  on  the  other  side  of  the 
road  was  intended  for  a  hotel,"  said  the  conductor. 

"  I  should  say  that  it  was  a  good  place  for  a  hotel,'^ 
added  the  commander. 


266  UP  AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 

"  It  would  be  very  convenient,  and  I  think  it  would 
be  well  patronized.  But  these  dirty  Arabs  would  not 
tolerate  it ;  for  it  seemed  to  be  an  infringement  upon 
their  right  to  rob  travellers,  and  they  made  it  a  fail- 
ure," replied  Mr.  Hornbrook. 

''  If  I  were  in  the  government  of  Egypt  I  should 
proceed  to  civilize  them  at  once.  They  make  travel- 
ling here  a  nuisance,"  said  the  captain,  "  and  I  would 
find  some  means  to  abate  it.  It  has  been  said  in  our 
country  that  the  best  Indian  is  a  dead  Indian.  I  don't 
subscribe  to  the  sentiment  by  a  good  deal,  but  I  should 
judge  that  it  might  be  truer  of  these  vagrant  Arabs 
than  of  our  aborigines." 

The  caravan  without  the  vehicle  resumed  its  march 
up  the  hill,  and  continued  on  the  way  upon  the  crest 
of  an  elevation,  with  the  sandy  desert  on  each  side, 
till  they  reached  the  plateau  at  the  base  of  the  Great 
Pyramid.  The  time  had  come  to  dismount  from  the 
animals.  The  half-dozen  Arabs  were  officious  to  as- 
sist, but  did  not  omit  to  extend  their  open  palms. 
The  conductor,  who  carried  a  pound  or  so  of  coppers, 
was  told  to  give  them  something  to  keep  them  good- 
natured.  They  took  the  horses  in  charge  as  the  riders 
dismounted,  and  rode  them  back  to  the  stable. 

The  donkey-boys  were  as  lively  as  ever,  though  they, 
had  walked  and  run  a  dozen  miles.  They  led  their 
little  brutes  back  to  the  abandoned  hotel,  where  pro- 
vision for  feeding  them  had  been  made  by  order  of 
the  commander.  Then  came  the  interesting  exploit 
of  getting  off  the  camels.     Louis  had  jumped  down 


ASCENT    OF    TPIE   PYRAMID    OF    CHEOPS      ^0  ( 

before  his  camel  could  kneel,  and  then  handed  down 
Miss  Blanche.  Uncle  Moses  came  to  the  ground  with- 
out accident,  but  Dr.  Hawkes  went  down  by  the  route 
over  the  animal's  head;  he  was  unharmed,  for  the 
sand  was  soft,  and  his  bones  were  heavily  cushioned 
with  adipose  tissue. 

"  All  on  account  of  that  extra  quarter  of  an  ounce," 
puffed  the  obese  gentleman,  as  Don  picked  him  up, 
and  brushed  off  the  portions  of  the  desert  that  clung 
to  his  clothes. 

"  You  will  wish  to  return  to  Cairo  in  the  wagonette. 
Doctor,"  laughed  Uncle  Moses,  with  a  triumphant  ex- 
pression on  his  fat  face.  ''  You  and  I  will  have  to 
play  leap-frog,  or  something  of  that  sort,  to  limber  up 
that  clumsy  frame  of  yours,  Brother  Cupid ;  then  you 
may  become  as  supple  as  I  am." 

"  All  right.  Brother  Avoirdupois  ;  and  we  will  be- 
gin now.  Put  yourself  in  position,  and  I  will  take 
the  first  leap  over  your  distended  proportions,"  replied 
the  surgeon,  swinging  his  arms  in  preparation  for  the 
spring. 

"  But  I  might  be  crushed  under  your  preponderating 
weight  of  a  quarter  of  an  ounce ;  judging  by  the  way 
you  dismount  from  a  camel,  I  should  be  sure  to  be 
reduced  to  the  thinness  of  a  slap-jack.  Excuse  me, 
Brother  Cupid,  and  give  me  the  first  leap  over  you." 

"  I  see  you  wish  to  back  out  from  your  own  chal- 
lenge, and  you  are  at  liberty  to  retire  the  proposition."-" 
added  Dr.  Hawkes,  as  he  gazed  up  at  the  summit  of 
Cheops. 


268  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"  Now,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  we  are  prepared  for 
your  first  exclamation  of  ecstatic  admiration  and  as- 
tonishment !  "  shouted  the  commander,  letting  him- 
self down  from  his  usual  dignity.  "  You  have  been 
looking  at  pictures  of  these  things  since  you  were 
little  children,  no  bigger  than  the  two  Cupids  of  the 
company,  and  now  you  are  in  the  presence  of  three  of 
them,  to  say  nothing  of  the  baby  pyramids,  of  which 
there  are  no  less  than  half  a  dozen  in  sight.  And 
there  stands  the  Sphinx,  the  representative  of  Napo- 
leon's idea,  contained  in  his  inspiring  words  to  his 
soldiers  at  the  Battle  of  the  Pyramids,  'Forty  cen- 
turies look  down  upon  you  ! '  " 

"  Has  the  crathur  got  eyes  in  the  bachk  of  his 
head  ?  "  asked  Felix.  "  Sure  the  bayst  is  loohkin' 
the  odther  Avay,  kaypin  an  oye  on  thim  blackghards 
uv  Arabs  we  met  forinst  the  village." 

"Don't  you  try  to  look  the  Sphinx  out  of  counte- 
nance when  you  get  on  the  other  side  of  him,  Flix," 
added  the  captain,  who  was  in  a  more  playful  mood 
than  usual. 

"  Oi  kin  say  acrost  his  face  from  here,  and  Oi  think 
he  is  purty  well  looked  out  of  countenance  now,  for 
his  nose  is  gone,  and  his  upper  lip  hasn't  room  enough 
left  for  a  mustache.  Faix,  he's  purty  much  out  of 
a  countenance  already." 

"  Shall  we  take  a  walk  now  among  these  sights,  Mr. 
Hornbrook  ?  "  asked  the  commander,  as  the  conductor 
joined  them, 

"  Not  yet ;    this  building   near   the  corner  of   the 


ASCENT    OF   THE   PYBA3IID   OF   CHEOPS      269 

pyramid  is  the  Viceroy's  kiosque,  and  I  have  just  en- 
gaged the  lower  floor  for  your  use.  The  lunch  I 
brought  out  will  be  ready  in  a  few  minutes,  and  we 
will  take  it  there." 

It  was  about  noon,  and  the  ride  had  prepared  the 
party  for  this  refreshment.  It  was  soon  disposed  of, 
and  the  tourists  devoted  themselves  to  an  examination 
of  the  Pyramids  and  other  objects  of  interest  on  the 
ground. 

"The  Great  Pyramid,  as  this  one  is  called  par 
excellence^  is  four  hundred  and  eighty-three  feet  high, 
and  the  base  of  it  takes  in  twelve  and  a  half  acres," 
said  the  conductor,  when  the  party  had  gathered  again 
at  the  corner  of  the  monument.  "  Though  it  does  not 
look  so  at  a  distance,  you  can  see  that  it  appears  like 
a  triangular  staircase.  I  suppose  some  of  you  wish  to 
ascend  to  the  top  of  it." 

'^  I  do  ! "  shouted  the  boys  as  one. 

"  The  blocks  of  stone  of  which  the  exterior  is  built 
are  three  feet  high,  and  make  the  steps  somewhat 
high  for  young  gentlemen  like  you." 

"  What's  three  feet  ?  "  said  Scott  contemptuously. 

"  It  is  easy  enough  for  men  and  boys  ;  if  any  of  the 
ladies  wish  to  go  up,  I  can  get  a  stool  at  the  kiosque, 
with  which  the  step  may  be  reduced  one  half." 

Only  Miss  Blanche  wished  to  make  the  ascent,  and 
the  stool  was  procured.  Louis  and  two  Arabs  he  en- 
gaged, for  they  were  still  about  fishing  for  backshish, 
attended  her  ;  before  she  was  out  of  hearing  she  cried 
out  that  it  was  "  nice."     The  stool  made  it  easy  work 


270  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

for  her ;  but  Louis  was  too  proud  to  use  it,  and  sprang 
up  every  one  of  the  steps  in  season  to  take  his  charge 
by  the  hand,  and  assist  her  in  the  second  step.  They 
went  to  the  top,  and  took  a  survey  of  the  surrounding 
country.  Then  they  waved  their  handkerchiefs  and 
shouted,  all  six  of  them,  for  Don  was  with  them. 

The  descent  was  not  so  easy  for  Miss  Blanche ;  for 
it  made  her  dizzy  to  look  out  into  vacant  space  in 
front  of  her,  and  Louis's  agreeable  labors  were  doubled. 
They  reached  the  ground  in  safety,  and  the  boys  did 
not  think  it  was  much  of  an  achievement  to  climb  a 
pyramid. 

"  Now,  Brother  Cupid,  it  is  time  for  you  and  me  to 
go  up,  as  no  one  has  been  killed  so  far,"  said  Uncle 
Moses  to  the  other  twin. 

"  Only  one  thing  deters  me :  I  should  lose  the 
supreme  delight  of  seeing  your  gymnastics  as  you 
made  the  ascent  if  I  went  up  with  you,  and  I  prefer 
to  stand  on  the  ground  and  see  you  do  it,"  replied  the 
doctor.  "Perhaps  you  had  better  get  one  of  the 
smaller  Arabs  to  take  you  in  his  arms  and  carry  you 
up." 

"Anything  for  an  excuse.  Doctor  Cupid,"  added 
Uncle  Moses,  as  the  party  started  to  obtain  a  nearer 
view  of  the  Sphinx ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  they  were 
looking  the  figure  in  the  face. 

"And  is  that  what  you  call  the  Sphinnix?"  ex- 
claimed Felix.  "Faix,  he  looks  joost  loike  a  malm 
I  knew  in  Von  Blonk  Park,  after  he  got  his  nose 
smashed  in  a  bit  of  a  f  eight.     The  top  of  the  mahning 


ASCENT   OF   THE   PYRAjSIID   OF   CHEOPS      2T1 

to  ye's,  Mustlier  Sphinnix.  Do  you  fayle  as  well  as 
ye's  do  now  after  stahnin'  there  foor  or  foive  t'ousand 
y  ay  res  ?  '' 

"  This  figure  formerly  had  the  head  of  a  man  and 
the  body  of  a  lion/"'  said  the  conductor ;  '-  the  length 
of  the  body  was  one  hundred  and  forty  feet,  and  the 
top  of  the  head  is  sixty-six  feet  high.  The  face  is 
thirty  feet  from  chin  to  forehead,  and  thirteen  feet 
wide." 

"  That  is  a  queer  shaped  head/"'  added  the  doctor. 

"The  ear  is  four  and  a  half  feet  high,  and  the 
mouth  seven  and  a  half  wide." 

"  He  was  the  fellow  for  a  good  dinner,"  said  Scott, 
"  with  a  mouth  seven  feet  long." 

Everything  in  the  vicinity  was  visited,  including 
the  interior  of  the  Great  Pyramid ;  but  it  would  take 
another  book  to  tell  all  they  saw.  They  were  very 
much  interested  in  the  rock-tombs,  the  second  and 
third  pyramids,  as  well  as  in  what  the  commander 
called  "  the  baby  pyramids." 

The  party  walked  down  to  the  place  where  the 
animals  had  been  brought  up,  and  the  proceedings  of 
the  arrival  were  reversed.  The  doctor  succeeded  in 
mounting  his  camel  without  tumbling  off  this  time, 
and  cheers  greeted  his  triumph.  The  tourists  were 
very  tired,  and  even  the  ride  was  a  rest  for  them. 
They  reached  the  hotel  in  season  for  dinner,  and 
they  voted  that  they  had  had  a  '•'  grand  time." 


272  UP  A>4D   DOWi^   THE  NILE 


CHAPTEE   XXIX 

WANDERINGS    IN    THE    STREETS    OF    CAIRO 

Though  it  was  not  quite  possible  to  keep  the 
"  Big  Four  "  quiet  for  any  great  length  of  time,  most 
of  our  tourists  were  tired  enough  after  their  trip  to 
Gizeh  to  rest  on  the  following  day.  A  considerable 
package  of  letters,  which  had  come  during  their  ab- 
sence, assisted  them  in  remaining  at  the  hotel  half  of 
the  day  in  order  to  reply  to  them.  But  Scott,  Felix, 
and  Don  John  had  no  letters ;  and  they  wandered 
about  the  "  Streets  of  Cairo,"  of  which  the  American 
people  have  had  some  specimens  at  the  Columbian 
Exposition,  during  the  forenoon. 

There  were  still  a  couple  of  days  of  the  week  as- 
signed to  the  capital  of  Egypt ;  and  there  were  a  num- 
ber of  "  odds  and  ends  "  yet  to  be  picked  up,  though 
the  party  on  the  return  from  "  Up  and  Down  the 
Nile"  could  take  as  much  time  as  they  pleased  for 
sight-seeing  if  there  should  be  anything  to  detain 
them. 

After  the  letters  were  written,  and  the  lunch  had 
been  disposed  of,  a  ride  was  taken  to  the  Nilometer, 
on  the  Island  of  Roda.  It  is  a  square  well,  sixteen 
feet  across,   with  a  column    of    eight    sides    rising 


WA^DEUINGS    IN    THE   STUEETS    OF    CAIKO      273 

from  the  middle  of  it,  covered  with  ancient  measures 
and  inscriptions.  This  pillar  is  thirty  feet  high.  Of 
course  the  water  of  the  river  flows  freely  into  this 
pit,  and  its  exact  height  is  indicated  by  the  gauge. 

Its  lowest  point  is  twenty-eight  feet  above  the 
average  level  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  When  the 
water  of  the  Nile  is  lowest  it  covers  seven  ells,  or 
about  twelve  and  a  half  feet  of  the  measure  on  the 
column  ;  and  when  the  height  mounts  to  about  twenty- 
eight  feet,  the  proper  official  proclaims  the  Wefa, 
which  means  the  abundance  or  the  superfluity  of  the 
Nile.  Then  the  cutting  through  of  the  dam,  which 
allows  tlie  water  to  flow  over  the  waiting  fields  of  the 
country,  takes  place. 

This  is  a  religious  festival,  which  inscriptions  indi- 
cate was  celebrated  fourteen  centuries  before  the  birth 
of  Christ.  The  Xilometer  was  built  a.d.  809.  The 
rate  of  taxation  in  ancient  times  was  regulated  by 
the  height  of  the  inundation.  The  river  must  rise 
about  twenty-eight  feet,  or  sixteen  cubits,  in  order  to 
insure  good  crops;  and  a  famous  statue  of  "Father 
Nile,"  in  the  Vatican,  is  surrounded  by  sixteen  genii, 
representing  this  number  of  cubits. 

Even  to  the  present  time  the  degree  of  the  rising 
of  the  water  governs  the  taxation  of  the  country ;  and 
it  is  still  for  the  interest  of  the  government  to  obtain 
as  favorable  reports  as  possible  from  the  Nilometer, 
in  order  to  present  the  people  from  grumbling  at 
their  tax-bills.  The  sworn  official  in  charge  of  the 
kilometer  has  to  be  watched  by  the  police,  to  make 
sure  that  he  does  not  falsify  the  record. 


274  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILS 

Later  in  the  afternoon  the  party  proceeded  to  the 
village  of  Shubra,  two  miles  and  a  half  from  the  city. 
Carriages  had  been  taken  for  this  excursion,  though 
the  young  men  preferred  the  donkeys.  A  broad, 
straight  avenue  leads  to  this  locality,  shaded  by  lehhec 
trees,  which  is  the  favorite  shade  of  this  region. 
Hundreds  of  thousands  of  these  trees  have  been 
planted  here,  and  they  have  produced  a  great  change 
in  the  appearance  of  the  landscape.  In  former  times 
no  effort  was  made  to  extend  the  culture  of  trees,  and 
timber  was  exceedingly  scarce. 

The  lehhec  is  doubly  valued  ;  first,  for  the  extent  of 
the  shade  it  affords,  and  second,  for  the  excellence 
of  the  wood  it  produces.  In  forty  years  it  attains 
the  height  of  eighty  feet,  the  trunk  having  an  im- 
mense diameter,  and  the  branches  projecting  a  long 
distance  over  the  roads  by  which  they  are  set  out, 
forming  a  beautiful  arcade  over  them. 

It  was  therefore  a  delightful  drive  over  Shubra 
Avenue,  and  it  has  become  the  Central  Park  of  Cairo. 
All  the  fashionable  people  of  the  city,  Mohammedans, 
Jews,  and  Christians,  turn  out  in  their  elegant  equi- 
pages, especially  on  their  own  Sunday,  and  promenade 
this  favorite  resort.  The  party  had  ridden  through 
the  Bois  de  Boulogne  in  Paris  at  the  fashionable  hour, 
and  they  liked  this  better,  for  it  presented  a  greater 
variety  in  the  Oriental  costumes  and  manners  of  the 
people  and  the  turn-outs. 

From  the  harems  of  the  magnates  came  the  veiled 
ladies  5  and  as  the  tourists  had  observed  in  Algiers 


WANDERINGS   IN    THE    STREETS    OF   CAIRO      275 

and  Constantinople,  the  better-looking  they  were,  the 
less  opaque  were  the  yashmaks.  The  party  were 
seated  in  open  carriages,  so  that  they  had  abundant 
opportunity  to  see  all  the  gay  equipages,  and  to 
observe  their  occupants,  as  well  as  to  see  some  of  the 
beautiful  villas  built  near  the  avenue. 

"  The  carriage  of  the  Khedive  is  coming ! "  ex- 
claimed Mr.  Hornbrook  impressively  from  the  driver's 
seat.     "  Salute  him  very  politely." 

"Of  course  we  shall  treat  him  like  a  gentleman, 
whether  he  is  one  or  not,"  replied  the  commander. 

The  conductor  leaped  to  the  ground  to  convey  the 
intelligence  to  the  other  carriages,  and  to  the  donkey- 
riders  in  the  rear.  His  Highness  came  in  a  very 
elegant  carriage,  and  rode  in  state,  suitably  attended. 
He  was  not  yet  out  of  his  teens,  and  as  Uncle  Moses 
remarked,  he  did  not  look  as  though  he  "would  set 
the  river  afire."  Hats  and  caps  were  removed,  and 
all,  including  the  ladies,  bovred  to  the  young  gentle- 
man. He  was  more  polite  than  the  Sultan  of  Turkey 
was  when  the  writer  saluted  him,  for  he  nodded 
slightly.  But  he  fixed  a  staring  gaze  upon  the  lovely 
face  of  Miss  Blanche,  and  her  father  hoped  they 
would  not  have  to  run  away  from  another  Pacha  of 
higher  degree  than  Ali-Noury. 

The  boys  were  particularly  careful  to  "  make  their 
manners,"  though  the  Viceroy  took  no  notice  of  them. 
They  looked  him  over  very  thoroughly,  and  found  it 
very  difficult  to  believe  he  was  the  ruler  of  a  country 
containing  seven  million  inhabitants. 


276  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"  He  left  his  manners  in  the  bog,"  said  Felix.  "  If 
I  meet  him  again  I  will  be  as  stiff  as  he  was." 

"  Don't  do  that,  Flix ;  you  ought  not  to  hurt  his 
feelings,"  added  Scott. 

"  Somebody  told  me  he  never  rode  out  on  this 
avenue  except  on  his  own  or  our  Sunday,"  added 
Morris. 

"  He  had  better  stayed  in  the  house  to-day,"  growled 
Felix. 

^^  Plus  qu'on  est  eleve,  plus  qiCon  doit  etre  poli^'' 
added  Louis.  (The  more  elevated  one's  position  is, 
the  more  polite  he  ought  to  be.) 

"  My  sentiments  exactly ;  but  if  you  had  said  it  in 
Chinese  I  should  have  understood  it  just  as  well," 
replied  Felix  ;  and  Louis  translated  it. 

A  garden  chateau  had  been  erected  by  one  of  the 
viceroys  at  Shubra,  which  was  very  beautiful  both  in 
its  natural  and  artificial  ornamentation,  and  the  con- 
ductor insisted  that  his  charge  should  examine  it. 
They  did  so,  and  were  glad  they  had  complied  with 
the  request.  For  a  franc  apiece  the  gardener  showed 
them  over  the  grounds,  and  presented  each  person 
with  a  bouquet.  The  return  to  the  city  was  quite  as 
interesting  as  the  coming  had  been. 

"Day  after  to-morrow  we  embark  on  the  steamer 
for  up  the  Nile,"  said  the  commander,  at  the  end  of 
the  dinner.  "  I  warned  you  before  to  have  all  your 
washing  done  before  we  start.  We  shall  be  gone  at 
least  three  weeks,  and  there  are  no  Avasherwomen  on 
board  or  by  the  way." 


WANDERINGS   IN   THE    STREETS   OF   CAIRO      277 

The  next  day  the  party  made  an  excursion  to  see 
the  Virgin  Tree  and  the  Petrified  Forest.  The  former 
is  a  sycamore  in  a  garden,  and  looked  as  though  it  had 
been  blasted  by  all  the  lightnings  since  the  Christian 
era,  though  its  branches  are  still  alive.  It  gets  its 
reputation  from  the  story  that  Mary  and  her  Son 
rested  under  its  shade  during  the  flight  into  Egypt ; 
and  when  Mr.  Hornbrook  told  the  circumstance,  Mrs. 
Blossom  straightway  went  into  ecstasies,  without  in- 
quiring into  the  truth  of  the  statement. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  or  not  the  story  is  true, 
and  I  leave  every  one  to  judge  for  himself,"  said  Mr. 
Hornbrook.  "  But,  madam,  there  is  a  more  wonder- 
ful event  alleged  to  have  occurred  here  than  the 
Virgin  simply  reposing  with  her  Son  under  this  tree  ; 
and  you  can  believe  as  much  of  it  as  you  please.  The 
fugitive  mother  was  persecuted  even  here,  and  she 
fled  for  safety  into  the  hollow  of  this  tree,  where 
she  found  an  opening  large  enough  to  receive  her 
and  her  sacred  charge.  Perhaps  that  was  not  very 
strange ;  but  the  tax  upon  your  credulity  is  the  state- 
ment that  a  friendly  spider  immediately  wove  his 
web  at  the  opening  of  the  hiding-place,  so  that  it 
entirely  concealed  the  occupants  of  the  hollow  from 
the  scrutiny  of  all  pursuers.  The  Copts  believe  this 
story." 

"  Were  the  cops  looking  for  the  Virgin  ?  "  asked 
Pelix  demurely. 

"  That  slang  is  wasted  on  Mr.  Hornbrook,  for  he 
does  not  understand  it,"  interposed  Louis,  who  did 


278  UP   AND   DOWN  THE   NILE 

not  like  to  have  even  a  marvellous  story  with  sacred 
bearings  treated  with  levity. 

"  I  learned  that  cops  were  policemen  when  I  v*^as  in 
America  —  in  the  States,  I  mean,"  replied  the  con- 
ductor, with  a  glance  at  the  commander. 

The  boys  thought  the  Petrified  Forest  would  do  very 
well  for  scientific  people,  but  there  was  no  "  fun  "  in 
it  for  them.  The  surgeon  had  considerable  to  say  by 
the  trunks  of  the  old  trees,  half  buried  in  the  sand, 
but  the  young  people  were  listless  listeners.  This 
region  has  been  examined  in  the  search  for  coal- 
mines ;  but  none  of  any  consequence  have  been  found. 

In  the  afternoon  some  of  the  tourists  went  to  see  the 
Viceregal  Library,  which  is  thrown  open  to  foreigners 
as  well  as  natives.  It  contains  25,000  volumes,  chiefly 
Arabic  and  Turkish  works,  and  the  party  did  not  stay 
to  read  any  of  them.  The  treasures  of  the  institution 
are  the  copies  of  the  Koran,  the  Mohammedan  Bible. 
They  were  collected  from  the  mosques  of  Cairo,  so  as 
to  insure  their  preservation,  for  they  are  of  priceless 
value  to  the  "  true  believers."  The  oldest  is  in  Cufic 
characters,  and  this  was  the  name  of  a  certain  Arabian 
alphabet.  This  book  is  believed  to  have  been  written 
many  hundred  years  ago,  and  is  in  a  very  dilapidated 
condition,  having  been  once  injured  in  a  fire. 

There  are  about  twenty  other  copies  of  the  Koran 
in  the  library,  all  of  them  of  a  later  date.  One  of 
them  is  written  in  gilded  letters,  and  this  and  several 
others  are  several  hundred  years  old.  Some  of  them 
are  in  Persian  characters,  and  other  Eastern  languages 


WAXDEPclXGS    IX   THE    STREETS    OF   CAIRO      279 

are  represented.  There  are  also  many  other  volumes 
in  Oriental  languages,  which  are  eagerly  consulted  by 
scholars  from  all  over  the  world. 

While  some  of  the  tourists  were  examining  these 
musty  relics  of  ages  gone  by,  the  boys  were  roaming 
about  the  streets.  Those  who  were  given  to  '•'  tinker- 
ing" stumbled  upon  some  carpenters  at  work  in  a 
shop.  They  had  hardly  any  tools,  no  bench,  vice,  or 
other  apparatus  to  hold  the  work.  They  kept  a  board 
in  place  by  the  weight  of  their  bodies,  assisted  by  their 
toes  and  their  teeth,  and  the  observers  could  not  help 
laughing  at  the  primitive  manner  in  which  they  oper- 
ated. For  a  rule  they  used  a  piece  of  string ;  for  a 
gimlet  or  auger  they  had  a  spike  fixed  in  a  circular 
piece  of  wood,  which  tliey  turned  with  a  string  at- 
tached to  the  two  ends  of  a  stick,  after  the  manner  of 
a  fiddle-drill.  It  was  all  decidedly  "funny,"  as  Scott 
called  it. 

A  kuttab,  as  Felix  insisted  in  calling  it  after  Don 
had  given  him  the  word,  which  means  a  school,  af- 
forded them  no  little  amusement.  The  scholars  were 
repeating  the  Koran,  which  is  the  principal  study, 
swaying  their  bodies  back  and  forward,  occasionally 
"cutting  up"  a  little  like  schoolboys  all  over  the 
world.  Then  the  master  scolded  and  punished  them 
with  blows. 

In  one  place  they  found  a  cook,  who  travelled  about 
with  a  portable  range,  and  cooks  and  sells  pottage, 
meat-puddings,  fish,  and  other  items  in  his  bill  of  fare. 
His  customers  do  not  require  a  table,  but  seat  them- 


280  UP  AND   DOWN  THE  NILE 

selves  cross-legged  in  the  street  and  devour  their  food. 
They  went  into  a  cafe  from  which  the  sound  of  music 
issued,  called  for  coffee,  and  listened  to  the  band, 
whose  instruments  were  a  sort  of  guitar,  a  queer 
fiddle,  and  a  cross  between  a  flute  and  a  clarinet. 
But  the  music  was  vastly  better  than  the  coffee, 
served  in  a  miniature  cup,  without  cream,  one-half  of 
its  contents  being  mud. 

^'  A  squad  of  these  dogs  waked  me  last  night,  and 
made  the  night  hideous,"  said  Louis,  as  they  came  to 
a  canine  group  on  their  way  to  the  hotel. 

'•  The  same  lot  vexed  my  spirit,  and  I  had  a  mind 
to  get  up  and  shoot  some  of  them,"  added  Felix. 

"That  would  not  do ;  for  though  the  Mohammedans 
regard  a  dog  as  a  specially  unclean  beast,  they  are 
very  tender  of  all  animals,  and,  as  in  Turkey,  they 
will  not  allow  them  to  be  killed.  They  are  all  mas- 
terless  curs,  for  no  one  will  own  tliem  ;  and  they  have 
to  live  on  the  garbage  thrown  into  the  street." 

"  They  are  nothing  but  '  yaller  dogs,' "  added  Scott. 

"  The  dog  row  we  had  last  night  was  probably  to 
expel  some  intruder  dogs  who  had  invaded  the  terri- 
tory of  others,  for  each  colony  of  them  has  its  own 
precincts.  You  can't  make  friends  with  them,  even 
though  you  feed  them,  as  I  did  in  the  City  of  the 
Sultan." 

At  dinner  the  voyagers  compared  notes  of  what  had 
been  seeu,  and  then  went  to  their  rooms  to  prepare  for 
the  embarkation  the  next  morning. 


A  MISSING  YOUNG  MILLIONAIRE  281 


CHAPTER  XXX 

A   MISSING   YOUNG    MILLIONAIRE 

There  are  two  usual  methods  of  making  the  trip 
up  the  Nile.  Two  lines  of  steamers  ascend  the  river 
as  far  as  Assouan,  a  distance  of  five  hundred  and 
eighty-three  miles,  making  the  journey  and  return  in 
about  three  weeks,  enabling  the  tourist  to  see  most 
of  the  wonderful  monuments,  tombs,  and  temples  in 
Egypt. 

The  price  of  passage  is  about  two  hundred  dollars ; 
but  this  sum  includes  board,  not  only  on  the  steamer, 
but  for  a  three  or  four  days'  stay  at  Luxor,  the  don- 
keys for  excursions  on  shore,  small  boats  when  needed, 
and,  in  fact,  everything  required,  except  wine  and 
other  personal  extras,  and  the  tax  of  the  government 
on  all  travellers  who  visit  the  antiquities  of  the  coun- 
try, which  is  one  hundred  piastres,  or  about  five  dol- 
lars. Bakshish  to  the  guides  employed  is  paid  by  the 
companies ;  but  the  tourists  will  find  abundant  oppor- 
tunity to  open  his  bag  of  coppers,  or  even  to  make 
use  of  his  nickels,  if  he  is  so  disposed. 

The  Gaze  steamers  make  fifteen-day  excursions  to 
Assouan,  and  return  as  far  as  Luxor,  where  they  are 
provided  with  three  days'  entertainment  at  the  com- 


282  UP  AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 

pany's  hotel ;  then  they  are  taken  by  steamer  to 
Girgeh^  thence  by  the  railroad  to  Cairo,  for  a  hun- 
dred and  twelve  dollars.  All  necessary  expenses  are 
included,  except  the  government  tax,  though  the  trav- 
eller is  his  own  master  so  far  as  bakshish  is  concerned; 
and  the  donkey-boys  expect  something  after  the  rides 
to   the  — 

"  Temples,  palaces,  and  piles  stupendous, 
Of  which  the  very  ruins  are  tremendous." 

The  other  method  of  making  the  excursion  to  the 
First  Cataract,  or  farther  if  desired,  is  by  dahabeah, 
if  one  has  two  or  three  thousand  dollars  to  expend  on 
the  enterprise,  which  may  be  divided  among  the  ex- 
cursionists ;  and  the  greater  the  number  the  less  the 
expense.  These  boats  comfortably  accommodate  from 
four  to  eight  persons,  according  to  their  size.  An 
arrangement  is  usually  made  with  a  dragoman  for 
everything  required  for  the  trip ;  and  an  iron-clad 
agreement  must  be  made  with  him,  put  in  writing,  and 
attested  by  the  consul  of  the  voyager ;  for  even  if  the 
contractor  be  entirely  honest,  which  is  not  always  the 
case,  there  are  such  a  multitude  of  details  that  differ- 
ences are  liable  to  occur. 

There  are  plenty  of  dragomans  in  Cairo ;  and  as 
soon  as  the  tourist  lands  at  Alexandria,  they  will  begin 
to  put  in  their  appearance.  They  are  Arabs,  Egyp- 
tians, Turks,  Syrians,  Maltese,  and  usually  speak 
English,  French,  or  Italian,  or  some  of  these  lan- 
guages.    Some   of  them   are  honesty  honorable,   and 


A  MISSIXG  YOUInG  millionaihe  283 

high-toned  men;  but  the  voyager  finds  it  necessary 
to  examine  into  their  character  and  qualifications  if 
he  is  well  informed. 

Looking  at  a  contract  for  an  actual  triiD  made,  we 
find  that  the  price  was  £400,  not  far  from  $2,000; 
and  the  tourist  added  $150  to  this  sum  because  the 
contractor  was  ''out  of  pocket"  at  the  end  of  the 
trip.  The  steamers  are  therefore  much  the  less  ex- 
pensive for  making  the  excursion.  But  the  dahabeah 
has  its  advantages  as  well  as  its  outweighing  disad- 
vantages. One  can  select  his  company,  and  have  the 
pleasure  of  enjoying  it  for  two  to  four  times  as  long 
as  in  the  steamers.  He  can  regulate  his  table  to  some 
extent,  though  the  markets  on  the  Nile  are  not  equal 
to  those  of  New  York. 

A  dahabeah  for  five  persons,  and  having  this  num- 
ber of  berths,  is  a  craft  seventy-five  feet  long,  sixteen 
and  a  half  wide,  and  draws  thirty-three  inches  of 
water.  The  after-half  contains  the  cabin,  the  floor 
of  which  is  two  feet  and  a  half  below  the  forward 
deck,  so  that  a  height  of  six  and  a  half  feet  is  obtained 
for  the  interior.  The  saloon,  used  as  a  sitting  and 
dining  room,  is  about  thirteen  feet  square,  with  a 
divan  on  each  side,  and  a  table  in  the  centre. 

There  is  another  saloon  in  the  after-part  of  the  boat, 
with  divans  in  an  alcove,  and  with  a  berth  on  each 
side.  There  are  three  staterooms  and  a  bathroom, 
with  other  needed  conveniences.  The  flat  roof  of  the 
cabin  becomes  the  promenade  deck,  over  which  an 
awning   is   spread.      Seats   are   provided   there,   and 


284  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

deck-chairs  may  be  used  in  addition.  The  forward 
deck  is  occupied  by  the  crew,  ten  or  a  dozen  of  them, 
besides  the  dragoman,  reis,  or  captain,  and  the  pilot. 
The  galley,  or  kitchen,  is  in  the  bow,  and  two  cooks 
prepare  the  meals. 

The  dahabeah  is  a  sailing-craft  having  a  short  mast 
near  the  bow,  on  Avhich  an  immense  lateen  sail  is 
spread,  the  peak  being  more  than  double  the  height 
of  the  mast.  At  the  stern  a  shorter  mast  is  stepped, 
and  on  it  is  carried  another  sail  like  the  one  forward, 
not  quite  half  its  size.  The  wind  does  not  always 
blow  on  the  Nile,  and  when  it  blows  it  sometimes 
conies  from  the  wrong  direction ;  and  the  large  crew 
for  a  craft  of  this  size  have  to  "  track,"  her  or  drag 
her  with  ropes  from  the  shore.  The  river  is  full  of 
this  class  of  boats  in  the  season,  and  even  a  hundred 
of  them  may  be  in  sight  at  once  at  points  of  special 
interest. 

Visiting  from  one  dahabeah  to  another  is  very  com- 
mon when  they  are  moored  near  each  other  for  the 
night ;  for  even  the  steamers  do  not  run  in  the  dark- 
ness. The  party  oftener  than  otherwise  consists  of 
not  more  than  three  or  four,  and  they  have  the  means 
of  making  the  days  pass  very  pleasantly.  With  an 
unlimited  letter  of  credit,  and  the  whole  season  before 
him,  the  wealthy  tourist  may  make  a  good  thing  of  it, 
especially  if  he  has  an  ambition  to  become  an  Egyp- 
tologist. 

On  the  other  hand,  for  the  ordinary  traveller  en- 
gaged in  simple  sight-seeing,  the  journey  may  become 


A   MISSING   YOUNG   MILLIONAIRE  285 

monotonous ;  and  after  one  gets  used  to  the  natives, 
there  is  not  much  that  is  exciting  or  sensational  in 
the  trip.  Some  become  positively  wearied  with  the 
sight  of  pyramids  and  ruins,  and  find  they  all  look 
alike.  Even  three  weeks  on  a  steamer,  with  the 
tramps  and  donkey-rides,  require  some  degree  of 
interest  in  Egyptian  history  and  archaeological  re- 
search to  render  touring  on  the  Xile  agreeable,  and  to 
some  it  may  become  intolerable. 

But  the  ^^  round-the-worlders,"  as  Felix  christened 
the  party  from  the  Guardian-Mother,  with  hardly  an 
exception,  were  educated  people,  and  were  capable  of 
enjoying  the  wonders  of  the  past  that  were  to  be 
revealed  to  them  on  their  excursion  up  and  down  the 
Nile.  They  were  to  combine  the  advantages  of  the 
dahabeah  and  the  steamer  ;  for  they  had  only  their 
own  company,  and  the  means  of  going  ahead  at  all 
times  when  the  boat  was  not  aground,  and  they  did 
not  care  to  continue  in  the  night. 

The  baggage  was  sent  to  Bl\lak,  and  the  party  fol- 
lowed in  carriages,  though  the  boys  went  over  with 
the  sailors  on  donkeys,  leaving  the  hotel  an  hour 
sooner.  They  were  full  of  frolic,  and  the  streets  were 
still  interesting  to  them.  They  had  plenty  of  time, 
and  they  made  a  run  around  the  Ezbekiyeh  for  the 
last  time  for  the  present,  taking  a  diversion  into  the 
Muski,  which  was  their  favorite  resort.  As  they  were 
about  to  return,  Louis  saw  something  in  a  shop- 
window  that  attracted  his  attention. 

It  was  a  little  Greek  cap,  or  fez,  made  of  crimson 


286  UP  AND  DOWN   THE   NILE 

velvet,  and  ornamented  with  silver.  Whether  he  was 
thinking  of  Miss  Blanche  or  not,  as  he  rode  along  the 
Muski,  picking  his  way  through  the  crowd  of  camels, 
donkeys,  dogs,  and  foot  passengers,  there  is  no  means 
of  knowing ;  but  it  occurred  to  him  that  this  particu- 
lar cap  would  become  the  beautiful  maiden  of  the 
party.  He  had  seen  them  on  the  heads  of  pretty 
Greek  girls  in  Athens  and  elsewhere,  and  he  believed 
that  with  this  cap  Miss  Blanche  would  be  a  miracle  of 
loveliness. 

"  Hold  on  a  minute !  "  he  called  to  his  companions. 
"  There  is  something  in  a  shop  here  that  I  want  to 
buy.  Go  down  the  Boulevard  Clot  Bey  to  the  bridge, 
and  I  will  overtake  you  in  a  few  minutes.'' 

"  Take  Don  with  you  to  do  the  talking,"  suggested 
Scott. 

"  No,  they  speak  French  in  the  place,  for  the  sign, 
^  Ici  on  parle  Frangais '  is  on  the  window,"  replied 
Louis,  as  he  rode  back*  to  the  store. 

He  entered  the  place,  and  asked  to  see  the  cap  in 
the  window.  The  man  in  charge  was  a  Frenchman, 
and  was  exceedingly  polite,  even  for  one  of  his 
nationality.  He  took  the  cap  from  the  window,  and 
then  he  fussed  over  it  for  a  long  time  to  put  it  in  con- 
dition to  make  a  sale.  Louis  was  impatient  to  rejoin 
his  companions,  and  he  told  the  shopkeeper  he  could 
wait  no  longer.  He  looked  at  the  man,  and  he  could 
not  help  thinking  he  resembled  Monsieur  Ulbach. 
He  was  a  little  startled  when  he  first  discovered  this 
similarity.     But  he  had  a  scar  on  his  forehead,  and 


A   MISSING    YOUNG   MILLIONAIIIE  287 

was  not  as  tall  by  two  inches  at  least  as  the  French 
detective. 

Louis  was  satisfied  that  the  shopman  was  not  the 
companion  of  Captain  Mazagan,  and  he  dropped  the 
subject  from  his  mind  after  a  critical  examination  of 
the  man's  face.  He  told  the  Frenchman  that  he  was 
in  a  hurry,  a  second  time,  and  began  to  move  towards 
the  door. 

"  Here  it  is,"  he  said,  when  he  saw  that  he  was  in 
danger  of  losing  a  possible  customer. 

With  the  dust  brushed  off,  and  arranged  with 
French  taste,  Louis  thought  the  cap  was  even  prettier 
than  when  he  had  seen  it  in  the  window.  He  could 
imagine  just  how  Miss  Blanche  Vv^ould  look  with  it  on 
her  head.  He  turned  it  over  and  over  many  times 
with  the  picture  of  the  fair  girl  in  his  mind ;  and 
while  he  was  doing  so  he  heard  a  whistle,  which 
seemed  to  come  from  some  apartment  in  the  rear  of 
the  store,  anc\.  from  which  the  Frenchman  had  issued 
at  his  entrance.  It  was  rather  early  in  the  day  for 
shopping,  and  there  were  no  other  customers  in  the 
shop.  Louis  heard  the  whistle,  but  it  meant  nothing 
to  him. 

"  What  is  the  price  of  this  Greek  cap  ?  "'  he  asked, 
after  he  had  decided  to  purchase  it  at  any  price. 

"  One  hundred  francs  ;  and  it  is  very  cheap  at  that 
price,"  replied  the  salesman,  who  seemed  also  to  be 
the  proprietor. 

"  One  hundred  francs  !  "  exclaimed  Louis,  dropping 
the  cap  on  the  counter  as  though  that  vv-as  the  end  of 
the  negotiation. 


288  UP   AND    DOWX    THE   NILE 

He  understood  the  "  tricks  of  trade  "  in  Cairo,  and 
knew  that  the  Arabs  and  Egyptians  were  not  the  only 
sharpers.  He  saw  that  the  salesman  had  just  doubled 
the  price  at  which  he  would  have  been  glad  to  sell  the 
cap.  He  had  priced  a  similar  though  not  the  same 
article  a  few  days  before,  and  it  was  only  thirty 
francs,  with  all  the  leeway  between  the  asking  and 
the  selling  price ;  but  it  was  far  from  being  as  elegant 
as  this  one,  and  he  had  been  afraid  to  offer  even  half 
the  sum  demanded. 

"  It  is  very  cheap  ;  but  you  belong  to  the  party  of 
rich  Americans,  and  you  will  recommend  my  shop  to 
your  friends  if  I  sell  it  to  you  for  four  Napoleons," 
persisted  the  Frenchman,  beginning  his  descent. 

"  I  will  not  give  eighty  francs  for  it/'  protested  the 
customer. 

"It  is  very  cheap ;  but  the  ladies  of  your  party  will 
come  to  my  store,  and  you  shall  have  it  for  seventy- 
five  francs. 

"No;  I  had  one  offered  to  me  here  in  Cairo  for 
thirty  francs." 

"  Never  !  Not  like  this  cap  !  It  could  not  be  !  " 
exclaimed  the  salesman.  "  But  your  people  are  very 
rich.  I  was  told  that  one  young  man  in  your  com- 
pany had  one  hundred  million  francs  ;  and  I  shall 
sell  this  cap  to  you  for  seventy  francs." 

"  No,  you  won't,"  replied  Louis  very  decidedly. 

"What  will  you  give  for  it?"  demanded  the 
Frenchman,  as  Louis  heard  another  whistle  in  the 
rear  room. 


A   MISSING    YOUNG   MILLIONAIIIE  289 

^•'  Forty  francs  ;  it  is  prettier  than  the  one  offered 
me  for  thirty,"  replied  the  intending  purchaser ;  but 
he  thought  the  boys  would  get  to  Btilak  before  he 
overtook  them. 

"  Forty  francs  !  St.  Genevieve  !  I  should  be  ruined 
if  I  sold  it  for  that !  "  groaned  the  shopman.  "  Forty 
francs  ?     Oh,  never  !  " 

"  Very  well ;  perhaps  I  will  call  when  we  return 
from  the  First  Cataract ; "  and  he  started  for  the 
door. 

"  Your  party  are  rich  by  a  thousand  million  francs," 
said  the  salesman, ''  and  I  must  sell  my  merchandise  to 
them.  You  shall  swear  not  to  mention  it  to  any  per- 
son, and  I  will  let  you  have  it  for  fifty  francs." 

"  I  will  not  swear  or  even  promise,  but  I  will  take 
the  cap  at  that  price,"  said  Louis,  producing  his 
purse. 

"It  is  ruin,  but  you  shall  have  it,"  replied  the 
Frenchman,  shrugging  his  shoulders  as  though  he 
was  intensely  dissatisfied  with  himself,  as  he  made  a 
neat  package  of  the  cap,  which  the  purchaser  put  in 
his  pocket  after  he  had  paid  for  it. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  sir ;  but  you  say  you  had  a  cap 
offered  you  for  thirty  francs.  I  sell  you  one  like  that 
for  twenty  francs.  Come  in  my  back  shop,  and  I  will 
show  you  a  dozen  of  them ;  but  they  are  not  like  the 
one  you  have  bought.'^ 

Louis  wanted  to  know  whether  he  had  been  cheated 
or  not,  and  he  followed  the  Frenchman  into  the  rear 
room.     There  was  no  person  there,  and  it  appeared  to 


290  UP    AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

contain  notMng  but  goods.  The  man  took  several 
caps  from  a  shelf,  and  the  visitor  proceeded  to 
examine  one  of  them.  A  moment  later  he  found 
himself  on  the  floor,  with  two  men  holding  him  down. 
One  of  them  was  Monsieur  Ulbach,  and  the  other 
wore  a  white  handkerchief  over  his  face. 

The  sailors  and  the  boys  reached  the  steamer  which 
was  waiting  for  them,  but  Louis  had  not  overtaken 
them.  They  reported  that  the  absentee  had  gone  into 
a  shop  in  the  Muski  for  something  and  was  to  over- 
take them.  They  waited  an  hour  for  him,  but  he  did 
not  come,  and  Captain  Ringgold  began  to  be  alarmed 
about  him.  The  ladies  were  putting  their  staterooms 
in  order,  and  did  not  hear  the  report.  The  com- 
mander sent  the  entire  party  back  to  look  for  Louis, 
and  then  started  himself. 


THE  ADVENT UPvE  IN  THE  MUSKI  291 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

THE    ADVENTURE    IN    THE    MUSKI 

Louis  Belgrave  understood  the  situation  as  soon 
as  he  obtained  a  sight  of  Monsieur  Ulbach ;  and  it  was 
hardly  necessary  for  the  other  conspirator  to  veil  his 
face,  for  the  victim  quite  as  readily  fathomed  his 
identity.  No  great  violence  had  been  used,  for  it  was 
not  the  policy  of  the  villains  to  injure  him ;  but  it 
was  not  in  the  nature  of  the  young  millionaire  to  sub- 
mit like  a  lamb  to  such  an  assault  as  had  been  made 
upon  him. 

At  the  moment  he  had  been  attacked  he  had  been 
busily  engaged  in  examining  one  of  the  Greek  caps, 
and  the  actors  in  the  scene  had  crept  up  softly  behind 
him,  so  that  all  the  advantage  was  with  them.  But 
no  sooner  was  he  on  the  floor  of  the  back  shop  than 
he  realized  the  full  meaning  of  the  transaction. 

He  had  listened  to  the  recital  of  the  details  of  the  in- 
tended conspiracy  in  a  cafe  at  Gallipoli,  when  Ali- 
Noury  Pacha  gave  his  instructions  to  Captain  Mazagan, 
and  several  attempts  had  been  made  to  carry  them  out. 
But  the  vigilance  of  Captain  Einggold  had  defeated 
them,  though  Louis  and  his  companions  had  fought 
quite  a  brittle  with  the  brigands  at  Zante,  and  caused 


292  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

the  capture  of  the  villains,  with  the  exception  of  the 
principal,  who  was  a  prisoner  at  the  time  on  board  of 
the  Guardian-Mother.  Ulbach  had  been  wounded  by 
a  shot  from  the  revolver  of  Felix,  and  must  have 
spent  a  considerable  portion  of  the  preceding  three 
months  in  the  hospital  of  the  prison  to  which  he  had 
been  sentenced.  How  he  had  made  his  escape  before 
the  expiration  of  his  sentence  was  unknown  to  all  but  . 
his  confederates.  ■ 

As  soon  as  Louis  saw  the  conspirators  who  were 
holding  him  down,  he  found  that  both  of  them  had 
removed  their  shoes,  and  he  understood  in  what  man- 
ner they  had  come  upon  him  when  he  had  no  suspicion 
of  their  presence.  One  of  the  two  men  held  him  by 
the  collar  of  his  coat,  and  this  one  was  Mazagan ; 
while  Ulbach  had  seated  himself  on  his  knees,  and 
appeared  to  be  gradually  transferring  his  weight  in 
the  direction  of  the  head,  as  if  he  intended  to  plant 
himself  on  the  chest  of  the  victim. 

Louis  kicked  and  struggled  to  shake  him  off.  Then 
he  attempted  to  utter  a  cry  loud  enough  to  be  heard 
in  the  Muski,  where  his  donkey-boy  was  waiting  for 
him.  But  Mazagan  promptly  checked  this  movement 
by  tearing  the  handkerchief  from  his  face  and  stuihng 
it  into  the  mouth  of  the  young  man.  The  conspirators 
evidently  found  they  had  taken  a  larger  contract  than 
they  supposed,  for  Louis  did  not  give  them  an  instant 
to  proceed  with  the  plan,  whatever  it  was. 

They  were  better  satisfied  on  this  point  a  minute 
later.     Louis  did  not  confine  himself  to  any  one  form 


THE  ADVENTURE  IN  THE  MUSKI      293 

of  resistance ;  for  while  lie  was  struggling  to  shake  off 
his  assailants,  he  had  worked  his  right  hand  into  his 
hip  pocket,  Avhere  he  always  carried  his  revolver.  As 
he  made  a  desperate  attempt  to  free  himself,  he  had 
drawn  out  the  weapon.  Ulbach  was  in  front  of  him, 
and  he  fired  at  him  first.  He  had  been  thoroughly 
trained  by  an  expert  in  a  shooting-gallery  for  just 
such  practice  as  he  needed  at  this  moment,  and  he 
discharged  the  pistol  on  the  instant.  Monsieur  Ul- 
bach tumbled  over  backwards,  and  Louis  feared  he 
had  done  more  than  he  intended,  for  he  did  not  mean 
to  kill  the  ruffian. 

But  the  detective  immediately  sprang  to  his  feet, 
and  thus  relieved  the  victim  from  all  anxiety  on  that 
point.  He  would  not  have  taken  the  life  of  the 
villain,  even  to  save  himself.  The  Frenchman  placed 
his  left  hand  on  his  right  shoulder,  and  began  to 
squirm  and  wriggle,  dancing  about  the  room  as 
though  the  floor  was  composed  of  red-hot  plates. 

'^  He  has  shot  me  !  "  he  exclaimed  in  his  own  lan- 
guage. "  I  am  ruined  now  !  I  shall  never  be  able  to 
use  my  right  arm  again !  " 

Mazagan,  though  he  was  plainly  disconcerted  by 
this  turn  in  the  adventure,  did  not  release  his  hold 
upon  the  victim ;  and  Louis  had  ceased  his  struggles 
for  the  moment  in  his  effort  to  measure  the  mischief 
he  had  done  to  the  detective.  For  a  few  seconds 
there  was  a  calm,  and  the  shopkeeper  became  the 
principal  actor  in  the  scene.  He  absolutely  tore  his 
hair  with  rage  and  excitement. 


294  UP    AISD   DOWN    THE    NILE 

"  I  am  wounded,  Jules !  ^'  groaned  the  detective. 

"  Served  you  right ! "  exclaimed  the  shopman. 
"  You  have  ruined  me  !  I  shall  be  arrested !  I  shall 
lose  my  shop  !     My  brother  is  killed  ! '' 

"  Your  brother  is  not  much  hurt,"  interposed  Maza- 
gan.  "  Take  hold  of  this  young  man's  feet,  and  hold 
him  while  I  tie  his  arms  behind  him." 

"  No,  I  will  not !  You  have  ruined  me  !  "  persisted 
the  shopkeeper,  still  tearing  his  hair. 

Louis  thought  his  time  had  come  to  make  another 
effort  to  escape,  while  the  conspirators  were  fighting 
his  battle  for  him  by  quarrelling  among  themselves. 
Mazagan  did  not  appear  to  have  considered  that  his 
victim  might  be  armed  with  a  dangerous  weapon ;  and, 
as  he  was  a  sea-captain,  he  was  probably  aware  of  the 
stringency  of  the  custom-house  regulations  against 
the  introduction  of  fire-arms  into  the  country,  with  the 
exception  of  guns  for  hunting. 

The  victim  attempted  to  shake  off  the  hold  of 
Mazagan  as  soon  as  the  shopkeeper  refused  to  assist 
him  in  securing  the  prisoner.  He  adroitly  threw  up 
both  of  his  feet,  so  that  he  kicked  the  conspirator  in 
the  head  as  he  bent  over  him.  Theji  a  new  distrac- 
tion came,  for  Pierre  Ulbach,  the  one  who  kept  the 
store,  suddenly  closed  the  door  of  the  back  room,  and 
announced  in  the  utmost  consternation  that  three 
men  were  entering  the  shop. 

By  the  side  of  Louis  there  was  a  trap-door  in  the 
floor,  with  stairs  leading  to  a  cellar,  where  the  con- 
spirators had  doubtless  been  concealed  while  Louis 


THE    ADVENTURE   IN   THE    MUSKI  295 

was  bargaining  for  the  Greek  cap  ;  and  the  whistles 
were  probably  intimations  that  they  were  ready  to 
receive  their  victim.  The  announcement  of  Pierre 
had  its  effect  upon  ^lazagan,  for  he  hastily  rolled  his 
prisoner  over  into  the  opening  in  the  floor.  Louis 
struck  the  steps  ;  but  he  was  out  of  the  grasp  of  his 
stalwart  captor,  and  he  promptly  gathered  himself  up, 
and  descended  to  the  cellar. 

The  revolver  was  still  in  his  hand;  for  in  the  con- 
fusion Mazagan  had  not  attempted  to  gain  possession 
of  it.  The  cellar  was  not  utterly  dark,  for  the  pris- 
oner found  a  window  about  eighteen  inches  high  in 
the  rear  of  it.  The  trap-door  had  been  hastily  closed, 
and  the  light  was  not  increased  from  that  direction. 
Louis  seated  himself  on  one  of  the  steps,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  consider  the  situation  as  it  was  at  that 
moment.  His  first  thought  was  that  Mazagan  had 
thrust  him  into  this  den  with  the  expectation  of  find- 
ing him  there  when  he  was  ready  to  take  the  second 
step  in  the  drama. 

As  he  reflected  in  regard  to  his  next  move,  he  heard 
footsteps  in  the  back  shop  above  him.  Then  he  heard 
voices,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  three  visitors,  who- 
ever or  whatever  they  were,  had  invaded  the  privacy 
of  Pierre's  back  shop.  Louis  listened  attentively  with 
his  ear  close  to  the  trap ;  but  the  language  used  was 
neither  English  nor  French,  and  he  could  not  under- 
stand a  word  of  it.  For  a  full  hour  he  listened  to 
these  incomprehensible  sounds  without  being  any  the 
wiser  for  them.  At  times  the  conversation  was 
3'j-rmv  and  even  violent. 


296  UP   AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 

Louis  wondered  whether  or  not  his  companions  had 
not  got  tired  of  waiting  for  his  appearance,  and  re- 
turned to  ascertain  what  had  become  of  him.  Don 
John  was  with  them,  and  knew  Mazagan  by  sight. 
Possibly  the  talk  was  between  him  and  the  chief  con- 
spirator. He  judged  that  at  least  an  hour  and  a  half 
had  elapsed  since  he  parted  with  his  friends,  and  they 
could  hardly  have  given  up  his  return  before  they 
reached  the  steamer  landing.  He  concluded,  there- 
fore, that  the  angry  conversation  had  no  relation  to 
him. 

When  he  had  arrived  at  this  conclusion,  expecting 
no  relief  from  that  direction,  he  descended  the  stairs 
and  made  a  survey  of  the  window.  It  was  not  hung  on 
hinges,  but  appeared  to  be  nailed  into  the  frame.  He 
spent  another  hour  in  various  attempts  to  remove  the 
sash ;  but  he  had  no  tools  of  any  kind,  and  he  did  not 
succeed.  The  state  of  things  seemed  to  him  to  become 
desperate,  and  he  finally  tore  up  one  of  the  steps, 
the  risers  of  which  were  simply  nailed  to  a  plank 
frame. 

With  this  board  he  proceeded  to  smash  the  glass  in 
the  sash,  at  the  time  when  those  above  were  talking 
the  loudest.  In  a  moment,  as  it  were,  he  had  broken 
out  the  sash  and  the  glass.  Mounting  a  barrel  he 
sprang  through  the  aperture  thus  made,  and  found 
himself  in  an  alley  full  of  filth  and  rubbish,  just  as  he 
heard  the  trap-door  in  the  back  shop  open.  He  started 
at  the  best  speed  he  could  make  in  such  a  place,  and 
came  out  in  a  narrow  back  street. 


THE    ADVENT  CUE    iX    THE    luUSKI  297 

He  brusiied  liis  clotlies  as  well  as  lie  could,  and 
then  joined  tlie  passers-by,  who  presently  brought 
him  out  at  the  Kosetta  Garden,  and  he  knew  where 
he  was.  He  made  his  way  around  to  the  Muski  at 
once.  In  the  square  he  met  a  bootblack,  and  he  gave 
him  a  piastre  in  advance  to  brush  his  clothes,  and  he 
was  as  good  as  new  then.  When  he  reached  the  store 
where  he  had  bought  the  cap,  he  found  it  closed. 
Monsieur  Pierre  must  be  in  some  kind  of  difficulty ; 
but  the  donkey-boy  was  still  there,  and  Louis  imme- 
diately gave  him  a  silver  coin  of  the  value  of  half  a 
dollar  for  his  fidelity,  which  made  him  rich,  and  he 
returned  bows  and  salams  enough  for  a  viceregal 
reception. 

Louis  had  not  even  lost  his  Greek  cap  in  the  en- 
counter with  the  enemy.  He  looked  himself  over  very 
carefully  ;  and  though  he  was  a  little  sore  in  one  of  his 
hips,  probably  where  he  had  struck  the  stairs,  he  was 
not  otherwise  damaged,  and  was  willing  to  believe 
that  he  had  escaped  "by  the  skin  of  his  teeth." 
Mounting  the  donkey  he  hastened  to  the  landing- 
place  of  the  steamers  at  the  great  bridge,  and  the  boy 
soon  found  the  Karnak,  which  had  been  engaged  for 
the  use  of  the  party.  He  paid  the  boy  his  full  fee  for 
the  time  he  had  employed  the  donkey,  and  the  recipi- 
ent perhaps  believed  he  was  the  Khedive  in  disguise. 

The  first  person  he  discovered  on  the  deck  of  the 
steamer  was  Mr.  Hornbrook,  who  did  not  seem  to  be 
aware  of  the  cause  of  the  delay  of  about  two  hours, 
though  he  was  very  impatient  on  account  of  it.     He 


298  UP  AND   DOWN   THE  NILE 

conducted  the  young  millionaire  to  his  stateroom, 
but  he  asked  no  hard  questions. 

"This  is  very  bad,  Mr.  Belgrave,"  said  the  con- 
ductor, when  he  had  ushered  Louis  into  his  room. 

"  What  is  very  bad  ? ''  asked  the  young  man. 

"  We  are  more  than  two  hours  late,  and  we  ought  to 
be  at  Bedrashen  by  this  time,  for  we  have  to  see  Mem- 
phis to-day,  and  then  go  on  towards  night  to  Ayat," 
replied  Mr.  Hornbrook.  "  The  longer  we  are  delayed, 
the  less  we  shall  see  of  the  ruins  of  the  city.'^ 

"The  steamer  is  engaged  by  the  day,  and  we  are  in 
no  hurry,  Mr.  Hornbrook,  and  we  can  give  a  whole 
day  to  Memphis  if  so  disposed,"  replied  Louis. 

"  You  can  take  three  months  for  the  trip  if  you  like ; 
but  it  was  my  desire  to  make  the  trip  cost  you  as 
little  as  possible." 

"Don't  trouble  yourself  about  that,"  said  the  young 
tourist,  rather  magnificently  for  him.  "  Where  is 
Captain  Einggold  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  the  movements  of  this  party  are 
inexplicable  to  me,"  replied  the  conductor.  "  All  the 
young  men  and  the  sailors  came  down  on  time.  Then 
we  waited  an  hour,  and  the  commander  with  all  the 
donkey  party  set  off  for  Cairo  again.  They  have  not 
yet  returned,  and  I  don't  understand  it." 

"  I  think  I  will  go  and  see  what  has  become  of 
them,"  added  Louis,  who  did  not  intend  that  the  con- 
ductor should  know  what  had  occasioned  the  delay, 
for  the  operations  of  Captain  Mazagan  were  to  be  a 
X^rofound  secret  still  to  all  except  the  three  who  had 
been  taken  into  the  confidence  of  the  commander. 


THE   ADVENTURE   IN   THE   MUSKI  299 

The  donkey-boy  whom  the  }'oung  millionaire  had  so 
munificently  rewarded  was  still  on  the  shore,  and  he 
almost  leaped  out  of  his  skin  Avhen  his  customer 
shouted  "  hammar  "  to  him.  Louis  mounted  the  little 
animal ;  but  he  had  proceeded  only  to  the  bridge  over 
the  Ismailiyeh  Canal,  when  he  discovered  the  party 
approaching,  led  by  the  commander  in  a  carriage. 

"Where  have  you  been,  Louis?"  demanded  the 
captain,  who  was  evidently  laboring  under  more 
excitement  than  usual. 

"I  have  had  an  adventure,  and  fought  my  way 
out  of  it.  Monsieur  Ulbach  got  a  bullet  through 
his  shoulder.  No  more  at  present  from  yours  truly," 
replied  Louis,  as  the  rest  of  the  party  came  up  with 
the  carriage.  The  searchers  began  to  cheer  as  soon 
as  they  saw  Louis,  and  nothing  more  could  be  said. 

"  Discharge  your  donkey-boy,  and  get  into  the  car- 
riage with  me,"  said  the  commander. 

Louis  complied  v/ith  the  request,  and  again  paid 
the  boy  his  fee  and  his  liberal  bakshish.  On  the  way 
to  the  Karnak,  Louis  briefly  related  what  had  oc- 
curred at  the  shop,  and  in  what  manner  he  had 
effected  his  escape.  It  was  evident  to  both  of  them 
by  this  time  that  the  difficulty  into  which  Pierre 
Ulbach  had  fallen,  and  which  had  caused  him  to 
close  his  place,  had  assisted  in  the  plan  of  the 
victim. 

In  another  half -hour  they  were  all  on  board  of  the 
steamer,  and  she  cast  off  the  fasts  for  her  voyage  up 
and  down  the  Nile. 


300  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 


CHAPTEE  XXXII 

THE    FIRST    DAY    ON    BOARD    A    NILE    STEAMER 

The  Karnak  was  under  way,  and  Louis  Belgrave 
was  trying  to  forget  the  disagreeable  adventure 
through  which  he  had  just  passed.  It  seemed  to 
him,  and  still  more  to  Captain  Ringgold,  that  he 
had  escaped  by  a  miracle ;  but  both  of  them  agreed 
that  it  had  been  only  by  a  lucky  chance.  The  visit 
of  the  three  men,  whether  they  were  officers  of  the 
law  or  creditors,  had  turned  the  tide  in  his  favor ; 
though  if  the  victim  had  not  "  taken  the  bull  by  the 
horns  ''  when  he  disabled  the  French  detective,  he 
might  have  been  bound  and  hurried  away  to  Rosetta. 

Ali-Noury  Pacha  was  thirsting  for  his  revenge 
at  the  present  time.  The  commander  of  the  Guar- 
dian-Mother, in  protecting  the  beautiful  girl  from 
his  approaches,  had  mortally  offended  him;  he  had 
treated  him  precisely  as  though  he  had  been  a  com- 
mon man,  and  not  an  Oriental  magnate.  He  had 
spoken  plainly  and  even  bluntly  to  him,  telling  him 
that  his  character  was  so  bad  he  could  not  permit 
the  ladies  under  his  charge  to  receive  and  associate 
with  him.  Mazagan  had  been  instructed  to  capture 
the  "  houri "  if  possible  ;  if  not,  the  young  millionaire. 


FIRST   DAY   ON   BOARD   A   NILE    STEAMER      301 

While  all  on  board  the  ship  were  aware  of  the 
attacks  of  the  Moorish  captain  and  his  agents^  they 
had,  with  the  exception  of  the  commander  and  the 
three  young  men,  no  suspicion  of  the  cause  of  these 
assaults,  and  attributed  them  to  brigands  and  pirates. 
The  captain  was  entirely  confident  of  his  ability  to 
protect  his  passengers ;  and  to  have  had  the  actual 
situation  known  to  some  of  them,  Mrs.  Belgrave  and 
the  Woolridges  especially,  would  break  up  the  voyage. 
The  captain  had  no  time  to  talk  with  Louis,  and 
the  steamer  proceeded  on  her  voyage. 

The  party  had  not  visited  the  steamer  before,  and 
they  were  interested  in  looking  over  their  home  for 
the  next  three  weeks  or  more.  Most  of  the  tourists 
had  done  this  while  they  were  waiting  for  Louis ;  and 
when  he  came  on  board,  they  were  all  busy  in  un- 
packing their  trunks,  and  putting  things  in  order  for 
the  voyage,  so  that  the  absentee  had  not  yet  met 
them.  He  was  much  interested  in  the  vessel,  and 
he  made  an  examination  of  her  as  soon  as  she  was 
under  way. 

Captain  Einggold  had  assigned  the  staterooms 
himself.  The  Karnak  had  a  main  and  an  upper 
deck,  the  latter  covered  by  an  awning,  so  that  it 
made  a  delightful  promenade,  and  it  afforded  an 
excellent  opportunity  to  see  the  shores  and  the  boats 
on  the  river.  On  this  deck  were  two  structures  con- 
taining apartments,  the  forward  one  being  the  dining- 
room,  large  enough  to  seat  the  entire  party.  The 
after  one  contained  the  ladies'  saloon  and  four  state- 


302  UP   AND  DOWN  THE  KILE 

rooms,  which  had  already  been  assigned  to  the  four 
of  them  on  board. 

On  the  main  deck  was  the  principal  cabin,  with 
a  saloon  and  four  staterooms,  each  of  the  latter 
having  two  berths,  not  one  above  the  other,  but  one 
fore  and  aft,  and  the  other  athwartships.  The  saloon, 
abaft  these  rooms,  was  about  twelve  feet  long,  and 
the  broad  divan  could  be  occupied  by  four  berths 
at  night.  Forward  of  the  engine  was  another  house 
in  which  were  four  staterooms,  and  the  captain  had 
assigned  these  to  the  seamen,  as  they  were  apart  from 
the  other  accommodations. 

The  Karnak  was  a  side-wheeler,  and  fore  and  aft 
the  paddle-boxes  were  the  offices  of  those  in  charge 
of  the  steamer,  together  with  conveniences  for  the 
passengers.  Captain  Einggold  showed  Louis  over 
the  steamer,  and  they  came  at  the  end  of  the  survey 
to  the  stateroom  they  were  to  occupy  together.  They 
seated  themselves,  and  began  to  talk  over  the  adven- 
ture of  the  morning. 

"  You  have  had  quite  a  number  of  just  such  affairs 
as  this;  and  since  I  have  been  connected  with  you, 
this  makes  the  third  time  you  have  put  a  ball  from 
your  revolver  into  a  human  being,"  said  the  com- 
mander. 

'^  Human  as  they  wfere,  they  werfe  all  demons,  and  I 
never  used  my  revolver  till  my  life  or  liberty  was  at 
stake,"  replied  Louis. 

"  You  were  perfectly  justifiable  in  firing  when  you 
did  in  every  instance,  as  I  told  you  at  the  time ;  and 


FIRST   DAY    ON   BOARD   A   NILE    STEAMER      803 

you  did  quite  riglit  to  defend  yourself  this  morning," 
added  the  captain. 

"  But  I  may  be  arrested  by  the  authorities  for  what 
I  have  done,"  suggested  the  intended  victim. 

"  You  will  not  be  arrested ;  I  am  as  sure  of  that  as 
of  my  own  existence.  I  am  only  sorry  you  had  not 
shot  Mazagan." 

"  He  was  behind  me  and  holding  me  down,  so  that  I 
could  not  see  him ;  for  I  should  certainly  have  chosen 
him  as  my  target  if  I  could  have  taken  my  choice." 

"  You  did  very  well  as  it  was.  So  far  from  being 
arrested,  your  assailants  are  in  vastly  more  danger 
than  you  are,  Louis ;  for  if  anyone  is  taken  up  the 
whole  truth  must  come  out,  though  a  Mohamme- 
dan country  is  not  the  best  for  the  trial  of  this 
case.  This  attack  follows  your  refusal  to  pay  the 
blackmail  levied  upon  you.  You  have  disabled  the 
detective  for  the  present,  and  I  think  we  shall  have 
peace  now  for  a  few  weeks,"  continued  the  com- 
mander, as  they  left  the  room  to  join  the  party  on 
the  upper  deck. 

The  entire  company  were  seated  in  the  space  be- 
tween the  two  houses  on  deck,  and  every  one  agreed 
that  it  was  a  delightful  trip  the  tourists  were  hav- 
ing. The  weather  was  beautiful,  with  no  danger 
of  rain  in  the  present  or  the  future.  The  Karnak 
was  passing  the  island  of  Roda  on  one  side,  while 
the  Pyramids  of  Gizeh  were  in  sight  on  the  other. 
On  the  left,  or  east  bank,  the  Arabian  Desert  ex- 
tended nearly  to  the  river.     On  the  west  bank  was 


804  UP  A2n'd  down  the  nile 

a  tract  of  fertile  land,  covered  by  the  inundation, 
about  a  dozen  miles  wide  in  this  section. 

The  steamer  was  running  between  two  deserts  ;  and 
sometimes  the  hills  that  bordered  the  one  on  the 
Arabian  side  extended  close  to  the  river,  with  an 
occasional  elevation  of  a  thousand  feet.  It  was  early 
in  the  season,  and  there  were  but  few  steamers  or 
dahabeahs  to  be  seen,  though  it  was  now  the  middle 
of  the  month  of  December,  at  which  time  the  Gaze 
line  begins  its  regular  excursions. 

''  Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  said  the  commander,  after 
they  had  taken  the  gauge  of  the  scenery,  "I  have 
looked  forward  to  the  leisure  we  shall  have  on  this 
voyage  up  the  river  to  listen  to  the  discussion  of 
the  subjects  assigned  to  various  members  of  the 
company.  I  have  not  been  able  to  call  upon  many 
of  them  so  far,  we  have  been  so  fully  occupied  with 
sight-seeing.  Mr.  Woolridge  enlarged  his  topic  from 
horses  to  the  animals  of  the  country,  and  he  has 
already  told  you  about  the  camel.  I  shall  call  upon 
him  now;  but  it  is  to  be  understood  that  Mr.  Horn- 
brook  may  interrupt  the  speaker  at  proper  times, 
when  it  is  necessary  to  point  out  objects  of  interest 
on  the  river  and  its  shores." 

" '  The  horse  is  a  very  noble  animal ;  he  has  four 
legs,  one  on  each  corner.'  That  is  the  way  the 
schoolboy  began  his  composition  on  the  horse;  but 
it  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  describe  the  horse, 
for  most  of  you  have  seen  one  of  them  at  least. 
]Ie   dates  back  to  the  early  periods   of  the  world, 


«%? 


FIRST   DAY    ON   BOARD   A   KILE   STEAJVIER      305 

and  those  of  you  who  read  your  Bibles  are  aware 
that  he  is  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  though  he 
comes  in  only  in  connection  with  war.  It  does  not 
appear  that  the  horse  was  in  use  in  the  earliest 
days  of  Egypt;  but  just  now  he  is  common  enough 
in  most  parts  of  the  country. 

"But  Egyptian  horses  would  not  take  with  Eng- 
lish or  American  sporting  gentlemen.  They  have 
not  cared  for  and  cultivated  the  animal  so  as  to 
bring  him  up  to  a  high  standard.  Most  of  you 
have  had  some  experience  with  Egyptian  donkeys, 
and  all  of  you  have  seen  him  in  profusion.  The 
donkey-boy  is  not  included  in  my  subject ;  and  I 
will  only  say  that  I  think  he  is  a  smart  fellow,  and, 
with  the  proper  facilities,  I  am  confident  he  would 
compare  with  the  newsboy  and  the  street  Arab  of 
New  York  City. 

"The  mule  don't  seem  to  have  much  to  do  with 
this  subject;  and  though  he  is  sometimes  imported 
from  Spain  and  other  countries,  they  don't  make  a 
business  here  of  raising  him,  useful  as  he  would 
be.  I  have  told  you  all  you  ought  to  know  about 
camels  before,  and  they  don't  have  camelopards  here. 
Though  he  is  a  tall  subject,  I  must  omit  him.  They 
have  the  buffalo  here,  but  he  is  not  the  fellow  I  have 
shot  on  our  Western  Territories.  His  beef  is  not  first- 
class,  but  he  is  good  as  a  draught  animal,  and  the  cows 
don't  give  butter,  but  they  do  milk,  from  which  they 
make  it. 

"They  have  cows  here  with  their  progeny,  and 


306  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

consequently  bulls  and  oxen,  whose  pictures  you  will 
■find  on  some  of  these  monuments,  but  they  are  not 
photographs.  The  cows  are  as  useful  here  as  in 
Vermont  and  New  Jersey.  They  have  a  curious 
churn  here  for  miking  butter,  which  is  a  leather 
bag,  held  up  by  a  rope,  and  shaken.  The  goat  does 
duty  in  all  these  villages,  and  at  the  tents  in  the 
desert  ;  they  make  water-bags  of  his  skin  ;  also 
churns.  They  raise  plenty  of  sheep  in  Egypt,  but 
the  wool  is  coarse  and  wiry.  In  the  desert  it  is 
about  the  same  as  the  covering  of  a  hog. 

"  Pigs  are  not  thought  much  of  in  Egypt.  The 
ancients  of  this  country  had  a  multitude  of  gods  ; 
Osiris  was  the  principle  of  light,  while  Typhon  was 
darkness,  and  the  grunter  was  his  particular  emblem. 
A  Berkshire  hog  is  black,  and  might  have  filled  the 
bill.  The  pig  is  an  unclean  beast  to  the  Mohamme- 
dans :  they  don't  eat  him,  and  they  don't  keep  him. 
Dogs  are  a  nuisance  here,  and  not  one  of  tl;em  has 
a  master,  though  the  people  will  not  kill  or  abuse 
them.  The  cat  is  as  common  as  in  other  countries, 
and  was  one  of  the  sacred  animals  of  the  ancients. 
There  is  a  superabundance  of  mice  here  as  else- 
where, and  what  the  cats  can't  dispose  of  the  weasel 
assists  in  removing.  All  kinds  of  poultry  are  kept 
here,  though  the  hens  are  small.  Machines  for 
hatching  out  chickens  were  used  by  the  ancient 
^gypti?ais. 

"  There  are  no  game-laws  here,  and  a  sportsman 
may  shoot  anywhere  he  pleases  j   but  a   man  must 


FIRST   DAY   ON   BOARD  A   NILE   STEAMER      307 

have  a  license  to  carry  a  gun,  or  any  fire-arm.  Game 
animals  are  not  plenty,  only  antelopes,  wild  goats,  and 
game  sheep  in  the  hills,  very  rarely  a  wild  boar  or  a 
striped  hyena.  Game  on  the  wing  is  plenty,  such  as 
ducks  and  grouse. 

"  The  crocodile  of  the  ancients  was  an  ugly  cus- 
tomer, sometimes  thirty  feet  long.  Once  in  a  while 
smaller  ones  are  seen  on  the  river,  but,  as  in  Florida, 
they  have  nearly  disappeared  before  the  filling  up  of 
the  country  with  settlers ;  but  the  crocodile  is  not  the 
same  fellow  as  our  alligator.  The  three  snakes  of  the 
worst  reputation  are  the  cobra-de-capello,  the  horned 
viper,  and  the  echis,  all  of  which  are  very  venomous, 
and  I  advise  you  not  to  make  their  acquaintance. 

'^  The  fish  of  the  Nile  are  the  most  abundant  during 
the  inundation,  when  they  emigrate  from  the  upper, 
region  ;  but  the  water  is  warm,  and  they  are  not  nice, 
though  salmon,  perch,  carp,  and  many  fish  which  are 
strangers  to  us,  are  caught.  You  have  heard  some- 
thing about  the  scarabaeus,  the  beetle,  and  he  is  as 
common  as  his  picture  on  the  monuments.  Wasps 
are  very  large,  and  have  a  ^business  end,'  which  makes 
them  an  undesirable  companion  to  fool  with.  You 
have  been  introduced  to  the  house-fly :  I  need  not  en- 
large upon  his  facilities  for  botheration.  Mosquitoes 
bite  just  the  same  here  as  in  Xew  Jersey,  and  in  some 
places  are  quite  as  abundant.  Other  cheerful  com- 
panions when  you  want  to  read,  rest,  or  sleep,  are  fleas, 
bugs,  lice,  and  at  other  times  scorpions,  tarantulas, 
and  centipedes  may  make  things  pleasant  for  you ; 


308  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

and  I  will  now  cease  to  make  things  unpleasant  for 
you/'  said  the  gentleman  as  he  seated  himself. 

A  very  hearty  round  of  applause  followed  the  talk 
of  the  sporting  gentleman,  as  he  had  once  been,  but 
was  no  longer,  in  which  Don  and  the  sailors,  who 
had  seated  themselves  on  the  rail,  took  an  active  part. 
The  party  gave  their  attention  to  the  shore.  The 
conductor  named  the  villages  they  passed,  but  the  com- 
mander declared  again  that  names  meant  nothing  in 
Arabic  to  the  Americans. 

"  All  right ;  I  will  not  bore  you  with  names,  but  I 
will  tell  you  about  them  where  there  is  anything  worth 
telling,"  replied  Mr.  Hornbrook.  "Here  are  some 
military  establishments,  and  beyond  them  you  see  the 
palace  of  the  Khedive's  mother,  which  is  connected 
by  rail  with  Cairo.  In  a  few  minutes  more  we  shall 
make  a  landing." 

"  There  is  a  drove  of  donkeys  there !  "  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Blossom.     "  Do  they  raise  them  here  ?  " 

"  We  raise  them  in  Cairo,  and  have  them  sent  down 
here  for  your  use ;  for  this  afternoon  we  visit  the  site 
of  the  ancient  city  of  Memphis,  and  Sakkara,  which 
was  the  graveyard  of  the  city,  on  the  same  elevation 
as  the  Pyramids  of  Gizeh,  where  the  overflow  could 
not  disturb  the  tombs.  But  there  is  the  bell  for 
lunch,  and  we  must  attend  to  that  first.  You  will 
be  hungry  enough  for  your  dinner  after  your  re- 
turn." 

The  Karnak  came  up  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  and 
was  moored  there  for  the  rest  of  the  day.     The  lunch 


FIRST   DAY   OX   BOARD   A   NILE   STEAMER      309 

proved  to  be  first-class,  somewhat  to  the  surprise  of 
the  tourists,  who  had  not  expected  much.  It  was  dis- 
posed of  with  hearty  relish.  The  sailors  were  served 
like  princes,  as  they  thought,  in  the  forward  saloon, 
for  they  were  to  attend  the  party. 


310  UP  AND  DOWN   THE   NILE 


CHAPTEE  XXXIII 

THE    NECROPOLIS    OF    ANCIENT    MEMPHIS 

The  party  landed  near  the  village  of  mud  huts 
called  Bedrashen,  which  is  a  railroad  station.  Not 
only  the  donkeys  which  had  been  sent  up  from  Cairo 
were  in  waiting  for  the  visitors,  but  as  many  more 
had  gathered  from  the  vicinity,  whose  drivers  were 
exceedingly  persistent  to  obtain  employment ;  but 
Mr.  Hornbrook  simply  shouted  "  Imshi ! "  to  all  of 
them,  and  the  tourists  mounted  those  provided  for 
them. 

Four  of  them  had  side-saddles  for  the  ladies  ;  and  as 
not  one  of  them  had  ever  mounted  such  a  beast  before, 
the  operation  caused  some  amusement  to  the  specta- 
tors. Three  of  them  were  experienced  horse-women, 
though  they  declared  that  it  was  like  getting  on  the 
back  of  a  large  dog.  Mrs.  Blossom  made  some  objec- 
tion, and  declared  that  she  would  walk ;  but  it  was 
two  miles  to  Memphis,  and  two  more  to  Sakkara,  and 
she  finally  took  her  seat  in  the  saddle. 

Don  and  the  sailors  were  supplied  with  donkeys ; 
and  as  they  understood  their  mission,  they  had  pro- 
vided themselves  with  sticks  on  board  of  the  steamer. 
The  vagrants  about  the  place,  A^ho  seemed  to  include 


THE   NECROPOLIS    OF   ANCIEXT   MEMPHIS      311 

the  greater  part  of  the  population,  were  assembled  in 
force.  The  commander  arranged  the  procession  as  he 
had  on  the  trip  to  Gizeh,  and  the  sailors  and  the  boys, 
who  joined  them  for  the  fun  of  the  thing,  rode  on  the 
flanks,  and  would  not  permit  one  of  the  beggars  to 
get  within  hail  of  the  adults  of  the  company.  The 
flankers  brandished  their  weapons,  and  this  was 
enough.  They  were  soon  dispersed,  and  Louis  took 
his  usual  position  by  the  side  of  Miss  Blanche. 

"  Now  look  about  you,  friends,"  said  the  conductor 
with  a  smile. 

"I  don't  see  anything  but  rubbish,"  replied  Mrs. 
Belgrave.  "  Here  are  a  few  palms,  which  are  pretty 
enough  ;  but  we  have  seen  plenty  of  them  in  the  last 
year." 

"But  you  can  also  see  blocks  of  granite,  bits  of 
brick-work,  and  broken  pottery." 

"  Have  we  come  out  here  to  see  this  rubbish  ?  "  in- 
quired the  lady. 

"  But  this  is  the  site  of  the  ancient  city  of  Mem- 
phis, the  capital  of  Egypt  in  the  early  ages  of  the 
known  world,  founded  by  Menes,  the  first  king  of  the 
First  Dynasty.  The  monarclis  before  him  were  consid- 
ered as  gods.  According  to  Mariette,  he  reigned 
5004  before  the  Christian  era,"  continued  Mr.  Horn- 
brook  ;  but  the  commander  gave  him  a  liint  that  the 
party  had  already  been  over  the  history  of  the 
dynasties. 

"  But  there  is  nothing  here  to  see,"  suggested  Mrs. 
Belgrave. 


312  UP   AND  DOWN   THE   NILE 

"You  will  see  something  before  you  return,  and  we 
will  go  on  now." 

In  the  centre  of  the  site  of  the  lost  city  was  a  con- 
siderable tract  of  low  ground,  which  was  covered  with 
water  during  the  inundation,  and  cultivated  in  the 
summer.  Near  this  the  conductor  halted  the  party, 
and  they  dismounted,  and  followed  him  into  a  hollow, 
where  they  discovered  a  huge  mass  of  stone  that 
seemed  to  have  been  fashioned  into  some  shape. 

[      "  This  is   tlie   colossal   statue  of   Kamses   II.,  the 

[  mightiest  monarch  of  his  age,"  said  Mr.  Hornbrook. 

,  "  It  was  found  seventy  years  ago,  and  presented  to 
the  British  Museum  ;  but  they  could  not  move  it,  and 
it  remains  where  it  originally  stood.     It  was  forty-two 

>  feet  high,  though  now  it  is  partly  dismembered.  He 
is  the  Sesostris  of  the  Greeks,  and  lived  about  twelve 
hundred  years  before  Christ. 

"  It  is  said,  though  I  do  not  vouch  for  the  truth  of 
the  story,  that  when  Ramses  II.  reached  the  frontier 
of  Egypt  on  his  return  from  a  victorious  campaign,  he 
was  invited  with  his  wife  and  children  to  a  banquet 
at  the  house  of  his  brother,  who  was  a  bad  man,  and 
desired  to  assassinate  the  king.  He  employed  men  to 
surround  his  brother's  tent  with  combustibles,  which 
were  set  on  fire.  The  servants  were  tipsy  after  the 
banquet,  and  failed  to  render  needed  assistance  to  the 
wife  and  children  of  the  monarch,  and  Ramses  him- 
self, with  a  prayer,  rushed  into  the  flames,  and 
succeeded  in  saving  them.  In  gratitude  for  their 
preservation,  he  erected  this  statue. 


THE   NECROPOLIS   OF   ANCIENT   MEMPHIS      313 

"  The  figure  wlien  it  fell  came  down  upon  the  face. 
A  great  deal  more  might  be  said  of  these  surround- 
ings ;  but  the  commander  has  so  often  more  than 
hinted  that  the  party  are  not  antiquarians,  that  I  will 
spare  you  any  further  remarks,  and  we  will  proceed 
to  Sakkara,  which  was  the  cemetery  of  Memphis,  not 
quite  two  miles  distant ;  but  it  was  the  nearest  ground 
not  visited  by  the  inundation,  on  the  border  of  the 
desert." 

The  company  mounted  the  donkeys  again,  and  re- 
sumed the  march.  This  was  the  route  by  which  the 
mummies  were  borne  to  their  final  resting-place  in 
the  rock-tombs.  The  ascent  to  the  plateau  began  at 
once,  and  they  soon  passed  the  ruins  of  a  village,  pos- 
sibly inhabited  by  the  embalmers  of  the  mummies. 
On  one  side  were  caves  which  had  been  used  as 
tombs ;  and  near  them  the  remains  of  preserved  human 
beings  and  of  cats  had  been  dug  up.  In  one  of  the 
grottoes  was  the  figure  of  a  cow,  representing  a  god- 
dess, hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock. 

After  passing  through  a  low  place  of  cultivated 
land,  the  party  ascended  to  the  necropolis,  as  the 
burial-place  is  called.  Having  passed  the  wall  and 
reached  the  higher  ground,  they  halted  to  have  a  view 
of  the  region  below  them,  taking  in  the  green  valley  of 
the  Nile,  flanked  by  the  ranges  of  hills  separating  it 
from  the  two  deserts.  They  enjoyed  the  prospect ;  but 
the  business  of  the  afternoon  was  to  see  the  wonders 
of  Sakkara.  Half  a  dozen  pyramids  were  in  sight  near 
them,  and  they  proceeded  to  the  most  noted  of  them. 


314  UP   AKD   DOWN   THE  NILE 

"  On  your  right,  with  a  wall  of  bricks  made  from 
Nile  mild,  is  the  cat  cemetery ;  for  these  animals  of 
the  house  had  a  sacred  meaning  to  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tians, and  they  embalmed  and  buried  them  as  they  did 
human  beings,"  said  the  conductor.  "  You  see  around 
you  the  ruins  of  several  pyramids ;  and  perhaps  their 
destruction  was  partly  caused  by  the  operations  of 
treasure-seekers  as  well  as  antiquarians.  This  is 
what  is  called  the  step  pyramid." 

At  this  point  the  party  halted.  This  pyramid, 
though  a  near  view  makes  it  appear  quite  different 
from  others,  is  really  the  same  ;  for  all  of  them  were 
covered  with  stone  slabs,  which  smoothed  down  their 
sides ;  but  time  has  removed  this  veneering  from  many 
of  them.  The  step  pyramid  is  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
seven  feet  high,  and  it  consists  of  six  stages,  or 
"treads"  as  the  carpenters  would  say,  of  unequal 
height,  with  an  average  of  thirt3^-three  feet.  It  dates 
from  the  Fifth  Dynasty,  nearly  four  thousand  years 
ago;  and  some  claim  that  it  is  the  oldest  existing 
structure  in  the  world. 

A  troop  of  Bedouins  had  followed  the  party,  and 
offered  their  services  to  assist  in  the  ascent  of  the 
pyramid,  which  is  practicable  in  spite  of  the  height 
of  the  several  steps ;  but  even  the  boys  did  not  care  to 
mount  it.  The  study  of  the  hieroglyphics  has  failed 
to  inform  the  inquirers  in  regard  to  the  use  of  this 
monument,  though  it  is  believed  to  have  been  built 
for  a  different  purpose  from  those  of  Gizeh.  From 
this   point  the   company  proceeded   to  the  house  of 


THE   NECROPOLIS    OF   ANCIENT   MEMPHIS      315 

Monsieur  Mariette,  where  he  lived  while  conducting 
his  explorations. 

''  On  the  left  of  you,"  said  the  conductor,  pointing, 
as  the  party  stood  by  the  house,  having  left  the  don- 
keys to  the  drivers,  "  was  the  Serapeum." 

"  Who  was  he  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Blossom. 

"Not  a  man,  but  a  temple,"  replied  Mr.  Hornbrook 
rather  impatiently.  "  The  word  comes  from  Serapis, 
an  Egyptian  god,  who  was  first  the  symbol  of  the 
Nile,  but  afterwards  an  infernal  deity.  Apis  was 
the  chief  god,  sometimes  considered  the  same  as  Sera- 
pis,  and  was  worshipped  in  the  form  of  a  bull,  which 
accounts  for  the  figures  of  this  animal  seen  on  the 
various  structures.  Osiris,  represented  in  the  form 
of  an  ox,  was  the  source  of  life.  The  mythology  of 
the  Egyptians  is  so  complicated  that  it  requires  a 
great  deal  of  study  to  understand  it." 

"  I  have  read  an  account  of  the  Sphinx  in  the  '  Age 
of  Eable '  in  which  the  figure  is  described  as  we  saw 
it,"  added  Louis.     "  It  is  the  old  (Edipus  story." 

"The  Serapeum  is  the  mausoleum  of  Apis,  the 
sacred  bull.  He  lived  in  the  Temple  of  Apieum  at 
Memphis,  and  when  he  died  he  was  buried  here," 
continued  the  conductor,  as  he  led  the  .way  to  the  sub- 
ject of  his  remarks.  "  The  subterranean  portion  of 
this  institution,  which  we  will  now  enter,  consists 
of  long  underground  vaults,  hewn  out  of  the  solid 
rock." 

The  tourists  were  astonished,  not  to  say  confounded, 
by  the  magnitude  of   these  vaults.     ]Mr.  Woolridge 


31G  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

declared  that  tlie  principal  one  looked  like  a  wine- 
cellar,  big  enough  to  hold  all  the  wine  in  Europe. 
Some  of  the  bull  tombs  were  seventy  feet  below  the 
average  level  of  the  ground.  On  both  sides  of  the 
main  vault,  which  is  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in 
length,  were  cells  or  chambers,  each  for  the  interment 
of  a  particular  bull ;  and  not  less  than  three  thousand 
of  them  were  buried  here  and  in  this  vicinity. 

Each  of  these  chambers  contained  a  sarcophagus, 
hewn  from  granite,  twelve  feet  five  inches  long,  by 
seven  feet  six  inches  wide,  and  seven  feet  eight  inches 
high,  on  the  top  of  which  was  a  convex  lid.  Every 
one  of  these  had  contained  the  body  of  a  mummified 
bull.  The  weight  of  these  coffins  was  sixty-five  tons. 
The  explanations  of  the  conductor,  in  connection  with 
what  the  party  could  see,  were  astounding ;  and  they 
obtained  their  best  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the 
works  of  the  ancient  Egyptians.  The  hieroglyphics 
had  told  a  wonderful  story  to  those  who  could  de- 
cipher them. 

In  the  course  of  his  explorations,  Mariette  found  a 
vault  which  by  some  unaccountable  chance  had  es- 
caped the  attention  of  all  previous  searchers  for  the 
secrets  of  these  tombs.  It  had  been  walled  up,  ac- 
cording to  evidence  obtained,  in  the  thirtieth  year 
of  the  reign  of  Eamses  II.  By  the  finder's  chro- 
nology it  had  been  tightly  closed  for  thirty-seven  hun- 
dred  years.  Everything  within  it  appeared  to  be  in  its 
original  condition.  The  marks  of  the  fingers  and  the 
feet  of  the  workmen  who  had  done  the  last  duty  there 
were  to  be  seen  in  the  mortar  and  the  sand. 


THE   NECROPOLIS    OF   ANCIENT    MEMPHIS      317 

But  there  was  more  to  be  seen,  and  the  party  left 
the  cavern,  though  there  was  nothing  to  be  compared 
Avith  what  they  had  just  visited.  Xot  far  from  Mari- 
ette's  house,  they  came  to  the  tomb  of  Ti.  The  burial 
places  of  the  necropolis  are  of  two  kinds,  the  rock- 
tombs  which  they  had  seen,  and  the  mastaba,  which 
is  above  ground.  That  of  Ti  was  of  the  latter  descrip- 
tion, but  the  exterior  had  decayed ;  though  the  interior 
decorations  exhibited  a  wonderful  knowledge  of  art 
for  the  period  in  which  they  were  made.  In  places 
the  painting  was  in  condition  to  be  made  out,  and 
many  of  the  subjects  which  adorn  books  on  this  coun- 
try came  from  this  place.  The  visitors  examined  them 
with  interest,  and  some  of  them  were  able  to  under- 
stand what  they  meant,  though  they  had  taken  no 
lessons  in  hieroglyphics. 

Although  there  was  enough  to  occupy  the  tourists 
for  several  hours  more,  the  night  was  coming  on,  and 
they  hastened  back  to  the  Xile  in  the  same  order 
they  had  come.  On  their  arrival,  breaking  through 
the  crowd  of  vagrant  bakshish-seekevs,  they  found  two 
dahabeahs  moored  near  the  Karnak.  One  of  them  was 
the  Gazelle,  with  a  party  of  four  Americans,  including 
two  ladies,  on  board.  The  party  were  seated  on  the 
upper  deck,  enjoying  the  evening  air,  but  they  politely 
saluted  the  Karnakers  as  they  came  to  the  shore. 

The  stars  and  stripes  which  floated  at  the  stern  in- 
dicated their  nationality,  and  the  commander  hastened 
to  invite  them  to  dinner,  which  was  waiting  the  return 
of  the  voyagers.     The  invitation  was  accepted,  and  it 


318  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

was  a  very  pleasant  party  whicli  surrounded  tke  table 
on  the  hurricane  deck  of  the  steamer.  Each  had  a 
story  to  tell  of  his  experience,  and  Louis  was  intro- 
duced as  the  owner  of  the  Guardian-Mother. 

It  was  a  very  pleasant  occasion  in  the  evening; 
as  soon  as  conversation  began  to  flag,  singing  was 
introduced,  and  it  was  ten  o'clock  before  the  guests 
returned  to  their  dahabeah.  Both  parties  hoped  they 
might  meet  again ;  for  this  social  intercourse  is  one  of 
the  pleasures  of  a  Nile  voyage. 

As  soon  as  it  was  light  in  the  morning,  the  Karnak 
was  under  way ;  but  most  of  her  passengers  were  on 
deck  very  soon  after.  Mr.  Hornbrook,  who  occupied 
the  main  cabin  with  Don  and  Felix,  was  on  hand, 
early  as  it  was,  and  began  to  describe  the  objects  to 
be  seen  on  the  shore.  But  there  was  nothing  which 
was  important  enough  to  be  recorded  till  nearly 
breakfast  time,  when  he  pointed  to  a  pyramid  on  the 
border  of  the  desert. 

"  The  village  on  our  right  is  Eikkah,  where  parties 
land  who  wish  to  visit  that  pyramid ;  but  we  don't 
stop  here,"  said  Mr.  Hornbrook. 

"  I  am  glad  you  don't ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Belgrave. 
"If  I  could  come  out  here,  and  spend  years,  I  might 
get  some  idea  of  all  these  things." 

"If  you  have  anything  more  like  the  Apis  tombs, 
trot  it  out,"  added  Scott. 

"You  will  see  some  things  more  wonderful  than 
those.  That  is  the  pyramid  of  Medum,  and  it  is 
believed  to  be  the  oldest  monument  in  the  world." 


THE   NECEOPOLIS   OF   ANCIENT   MEMPHIS      319 

"  Another  !  "  exclaimed  Felix.  "  You  have  lots  of 
the  oldest  things  out  here." 

"Three  different  chronologies/'  replied  the  con- 
ductor with  a  smile.  "This  pyramid  is  so  different 
from  others  that  the  Arabs  call  it  the  ^  false  pyramid/ 
and  that  is  the  name  it  goes  by.  There  is  a  mastaba 
near  it,  which  was  opened  by  Mariette.  Xow  we  are 
coming  to  AYasta,  where  a  branch  of  the  railroad  has 
been  extended  to  the  Fayum." 

"  Is  it  a  pyramid  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Blossom. 

"  No  ;  it  is  an  oasis/"'  replied  the  conductor.  "  I 
must  tell  you  something  about  it."' 

The  party  seated  themselves  ready  to  listen,  while 
the  good  lady  wondered  what  an  oasis  could  be. 


320  UP   A^^D   DOWN   THE   NILE 


CHAPTER   XXXIV 

RUINS    OF    TEMPLES    AND    PILES    STUPENDOUS. 

"  The  Fayflm  is  generally  visited  directly  from 
Cairo,  for  tliere  is  a  railway  the  entire  distance,  with 
one  chang-e  at  Wast  a,  which  we  are  now  approaching 
on  the  east  bank.  The  distance  is  seventy-five  miles, 
which  is  made  in  four  hours.  There  is  a  fair  hotel  at 
the  principal  place. 

"  The  most  of  the  territory  is  in  a  depression  of  the 
great  plateau  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  Libyan  Des- 
ert, 300  to  400  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The 
Faylim  is  celebrated  for  its  extraordinary  fertility. 
It  has  an  area  of  840  square  miles,  with  a  population 
of  200,000.  It  is  abundantly  irrigated  naturally  and 
artificially  by  a  stream  207  miles  long,  from  farther 
up  the  Nile,  which  has  been  improved  and  adapted 
for  this  purpose,  so  that  the  water  is  distributed  all 
over  the  oasis. 

"  This  region  formerly  contained  Lake  Moeris  of 
ancient  fame,  now  entirely  dried  up.  It  was  thirty- 
five  miles  long,  and  the  income  from  its  fisheries  kq^t 
the  wives  of  the  Pharaohs  in  pin-money.  Another  ,^ 
lake  has  taken  its  place,  not  on  the  same  area,  Birket 
el-Kurtin,  thirty-four  miles  long,  and  six  and  a  half 


IIUINS  OF  TEMPLES  AND  PILES  STUPENDOUS      321 

wide.  Its  fisheries  are  important,  and  some  tourists 
explore  its  shores,  where  the  shooting  is  good. 

"  Medinet-el-Fayiim  is  the  principal  city,  and  has 
40,000  inhabitants.  The  ancient  capital  was  Crocodi- 
lopolis,  of  which  only  the  ruins  remain.  If  you  go 
there  you  will  find  an  ancient  labyrinth,  full  of  col- 
umns and  apartments. 

Mr.  Hornbrook  was  shrewd  enough  to  perceive  that 
some  of  his  party  had  become  weary  of  too  much 
sight-seeing,  and  he  made  his  remarks  very  brief,  and 
did  not  allude  to  the  pyramids  and  other  objects  of 
interest.  He  saw  that  the  tourists  were  enjoying 
themselves  very  much  ;  but  they  had  not  much  fancy 
for  excursions  to  see  the  wonders  of  the  country  at  a 
distance  from  the  river.  He  was  disposed  to  adapt 
himself  to  the  tastes  of  his  charge,  and  he  did  not 
insist  that  the  ordinary  programme  for  antiquarians 
and  scientists  should  be  carried  out. 

On  the  third  day  the  conductor  pointed  out  every- 
thing on  the  shore,  but  his  remarks  were  very  brief. 
He  told  about  tombs  and  ruins  without  exciting  any 
desire  on  the  part  of  the  listeners  to  visit  them. 
They  preferred  to  hear  about  them,  making  constant 
use  of  the  guide-books.  The  evening  was  cool,  and 
the  company  were  driven  to  the  saloons,  and  even 
there  wraps  were  in  demand.  At  Beni-hasan,  where 
the  steamer  remained  over  night,  there  were  several 
dahabeahs,  and  social  relations  were  established.  On 
the  fourth  day  the  conductor  followed  the  same  plan, 
and  the  volumes  were  in  use  all  day. 


822  UP  AND  DOWN   THE   NILE 

At  night  the  Karnak  arrived  at  Assiut,  one  of  the 
most  important  towns  on  the  river,  252  miles  from 
Blilak,  with  a  population  of  32,000.  There  was  an 
American  mission  here,  which  had  many  schools, 
churches,  and  stations,  and  had  made  a  decided  im- 
pression. Mrs.  Belgrave  was  interested  in  such  mat- 
ters, and  gave  the  party  some  account  of  them.  She 
had  been  appointed  to  look  up  the  religious  matters 
coDuected  with  Egypt. 

The  following  day  was  Sunday ;  and  when  she  was 
asked  about  the  Copts,  several  convents  belonging  to 
the  sect  having  been  pointed  out  to  them  by  the  con- 
ductor, she  gave  a  brief  talk  about  them. 

"The  Copts  are  descended  from  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tians," the  lady  began.  "  They  are  nominally  Chris- 
tians, but  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  they  dislike  other 
followers  of  Christ  even  more  than  they  do  the 
Mohammedans.  There  are  300,000  of  them  in  Egypt, 
about  one-twentieth  of  the  w4iole  population.  Most 
of  them  live  in  Cairo,  for  they  are  employed  as  clerks 
and  accountants,  having  a  taste  and  talent  for  figures, 
and  in  the  higher  grades  of  mechanical  occupations, 
such  as  smiths,  jev/ellers,  watchmakers.  Some  of 
them  work  on  the  land,  but  this  is  not  generally  their 
pursuit. 

"  They  have  a  religious  organization,  with  a  patri- 
arch, and  bishops.  They  have  seven  sacraments,  like 
the  Catholics,  and  many  of  their  rites  are  the  same. 
Wednesday  and  Friday  are  fast  days  with  them,  and 
they  have  other  long  fasts,  one  of  nearly  two  months, 


RUINS  OF  TEMPLES  AND  PILES  STUPENDOUS      323 

during  the  year.  They  have  an  ancient  language 
of  their  own,  and  they  keep  up  the  earliest  forms  of 
worship,  which  are  very  ceremonial." 

It  was  a  busy  day  in  Assiut;  for  Sunday  is  the 
market-day,  when  the  people  come  from  the  country 
to  sell  their  produce,  mostly  lentils,  with  a  variety  of 
other  vegetables.  Those  of  the  party  who  were  not 
as  particular  in  the  observance  of  the  day  as  the  com- 
mander and  Mrs.  Belgrave,  who  attended  service  at 
the  mission,  engaged  donkeys  and  rode  about  the 
town.  There  was  much  that  was  interesting  to  be 
seen,  especially  in  observing  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  people. 

As  in  Cairo,  they  were  especially  struck  with  the 
appearance  of  several  funeral  processions,  with  the 
distributers  of  water  and  wailing  women,  who  seem 
to  take  the  part  of  mutes  formerly  employed  in  Eng- 
land on  such  occasions  to  assist  in  the  mourning. 
The  chants  of  these  women  were  more  solemn  and 
impressive  than  at  the  capital,  where  the  crowd  in 
the  street  robs  it  of  a  portion  of  its  effect.  They 
found  also  some  very  fine  mosques  in  the  city. 

"  The  ancient  city  on  this  site  was  Lycopolis,"  said 
the  conductor,  as  the  tourists  finished  their  lunch ; 
"and  the  necropolis  contains  some  tombs,  grottoes, 
and  catacombs,  which  are  visited  by  many  tourists." 

"  I  think  we  will  not  go  to  them,"  added  the  com- 
mander with  a  smile.  ^-We  have  seen  many  speci- 
mens of  these  tombs,  and  we  don't  care  to  see  any 
more  of  them  at  present,  for  they  are  likely  to  become 
monotonous." 


324  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

^'  There  is  nothing  very  different  about  the  tombs 
of  this  necropolis  from  what  you  have  already  seen ; 
but  the  mummies  of  jackals,  kittens,  and  birds  of  prey 
have  been  found  here/'  said  Mr.  Hornbrook.  "  If 
you  wish  to  visit  them,  you  can  crawl  through  small 
holes,  dirty  and  dusty,  and  pick  up  the  bones  of  these 
animals." 

"Have  us  excused,"  replied  Mrs.  Woolridge. 

On  Monday  the  members  of  the  party  felt  very 
much  refreshed  by  their  rest,  and  the  steamer  pro- 
ceeded as  far  as  Balianeh.  This  was  the  landing- 
place  for  tourists  visiting  Abydos,  which  contains 
some  extraordinary  relics  of  antiquity,  and  the  party 
decided  to  visit  the  site  of  the  city  the  Arab  name  of 
which  means  "  the  buried."  Abydos  was  second  only 
in  importance,  and  was  a  sanctuary  where  the  great 
and  the  rich  caused  their  mummies  to  be  conveyed, 
in  the  belief  that  burial  within  its  sacred  precincts 
would  procure  a  favorable  judgment  for  them  in  the 
next  world. 

Seti  I.,  the  father  of  Eamses  II.,  built  the  Memno- 
nium  here.  Mariette  made  extensive  explorations 
about  this  building,  and  removed  the  sand  which  cov- 
ered a  large  portion  of  it.  It  is  not  a  religious  temple, 
but  a  group  of  sepulchral  sanctuaries.  The  presence 
of  the  sacred  tomb  of  Osiris  was  supposed  to  impart 
a  blessing  to  the  magnates  buried  here. 

The  temple  contains  many  inscriptions,  and  the 
columns  were  set  up  in  great  numbers.  The  burial 
temple  of  Ramses  II.  is  in  a  very  ruinous  condition. 


RUINS  OF  TEMPLES  AND  PILES  STUPENDOUS      325 

Some  of  the  monarchs  appear  to  have  had  several 
burial-places.  A  few  of  the  structures  formerly  had 
metal  doors,  which  have  all  disappeared.  This  vi^it 
was  quite  satisfactory  to  the  party /for  it  was,  to  some 
extent,  different  from  what  they  had  seen  before. 

On  the  seventh  day  of  the  trip  the  steamer  proceeded 
to  Keneh,  a  town  of  16,000  inhabitants,  and  noted  for 
its  pottery,  extensive  enough  to  supply  the  whole 
country.  The  ladies  were  interested  in  this  art ;  and 
the  conductor  afforded  them  every  opportunity  to 
gratify  their  taste  in  witnessing  the  moulding,  and  in 
purchasing  specimens,  a  large  number  of  which  were 
packed  and  sent  to  the  Gaze  agent  in  Alexandria. 

"This  is  the  place  where  the  caravans  carrying 
goods  to  the  Eed  Sea  set  out,"  said  iMr.  Hornbrook. 
"The  distance  to  Koser,  a  port  on  that  sea,  is  one 
hundred  and  ten  miles;  and  if  any  of  you  wish  to 
make  a  camel  journey  over  the  Arabian  desert,  you 
can  accomplish  it  in  four  or  five  days." 

"We  prefer  to  visit  Koser,  if  at  all,  from  our 
steamer,"  replied  the  commander ;  but  some  of  the 
"  Big  Tour "  thought  they  should  like  to  make  the 
journey,  for  it  would  be  a  novel  experience. 

Instead  of  crossing  the  desert,  the  party  crossed  the 
river,  and  soon  found  themselves  seated  on  better- 
equipped  donkeys  than  they  had  usually  found,  on 
their  way  to  the  great  temple  of  Dendereh,  two  miles 
from  the  shore.  They  passed  through  groves  of 
palms  and  well-tilled  fields,  and  occasionally  by  a 
dwelling  guarded  by  noisy  dogs.      The  temple  was 


826  UP  ainD  i>ovvN  the  nile 

dedicated  to  Hathor,  the  Egyptian  Venus.  Tli^; 
portico  is  one  hundred  and  thirty -nine  feet  wide,  and 
supported  by  twenty-four  columns,  the  capital  having 
four  heads  of  the  goddess  with  cows'  ears. 

The  main  building  contains  a  multitude  of  apart- 
ments, devoted  to  various  purposes  in  the  ceremonials 
in  honor  of  the  divinity.  Connected  with  it  are  twelve 
crypts,  some  above  and  some  below  the  floor  of  the 
structure,  which  seem  to  mingle  the  solemn  with  the 
festive  in  an  odd  manner  to  modern  observers.  The 
grandeur  of  these  remains  of  former  splendor  made 
its  due  impression  on  the  most  of  the  tourists.  But 
it  was  only  the  beginning  of  the  series  of  mighty 
works  which  were  to  be  presented  to  their  view  within 
the  next  few  days.  They  returned  to  the  steamer, 
and  passed  the  evening  in  talking  over  what  they  had 
seen  during  the  last  two  days. 

The  party  were  tired  when  they  retired,  and  they 
did  not  "  turn  out "  till  late ;  but  the  Karnak  had 
been  making  her  best  speed  for  three  hours.  The  con- 
ductor was  full  of  information,  as  usual ;  and  Mrs. 
Belgrave  gave  quite  a  lecture  on  the  Mohammedan 
religion,  in  which  even  the  boys  were  deeply  inter- 
ested. At  noon  Mr.  Hornbrook  began  to  point  out 
the  temples  of  Thebes  and  Karnak,  of  which  "  the 
very  ruins  are  tremendous  ;  "  but  they  saw  nothing  of 
"  the  hundred  gates,  as  sung  by  Homer."  The  steamer 
went  up  to  the  landing,  and  the  entire  party,  bag  and 
baggage,  proceeded  at  once  to  the  Hotel  Thewfikieh,  as 
they  persist  in  spelling  it. 


RUINS  OF  TEMPLES  AND  PILES  STUPENT)OUS      327 

It  has  a  veranda  in  the  front,  and  another  in  the 
rear ;  attached  to  it  is  a  garden  for  the  production  of 
the  vegetables  consumed  in  the  hotel,  and  with  plenty 
of  palms  in  the  vicinity.  Accommodations  for  the 
tourists  were  reserved,  and  they  vv'ent  to  their  rooms 
at  once.  A  very  substantial  and  palatable  lunch  was 
soon  served,  and  the  company  were  ready  for  the 
business  of  the  afternoon.  They  were  to  remain  three 
days  at  this  hotel. 

"A  word  before  we  start,"  said  the  conductor. 
''  You  will  wish  to  purchase  antiquities,  which  will  be 
constantly  thrust  in  your  faces,  unless  the  sailors 
keep  the  Arabs  off,  as  they  have  done  on  former 
occasions.  You  can  buy  these  articles  if  you  wish, 
but  the  chances  are  that  they  will  be  spurious,  for 
they  manufacture  them  here,  as  they  do  nails  from  the 
true  cross  in  Europe  ;  and  they  do  it  so  well  that  even 
experts  are  sometimes  deceived.  Your  donkey-boys 
are  very  good  fellows,  as  a  rule,  and  tliey  will  render 
you  every  assistance  you  require.  Now  for  the  Temple 
of  Luxor."' 

But  the  commander  interfered,  and  insisted  upon 
knowing  the  points  of  the  compass,  as  he  termed  it. 
He  wished  the  party  to  understand  what  was  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Kile,  and  what  on  the  left.  IMr. 
Hornbrook  explained  that  Luxor  and  Karnak  were  on 
the  right  bank,  and  the  necropolis  on  the  left. 

"  But  which  is  the  right  bank  ?  "  asked  Felix.  "  I 
have  been  mixed  about  that,  and  it  seems  to  me  every- 
thing is  hind  end  to  here.     When  I  went  to  school  the 


328  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

master  made  us  study  our  maps  with  the  top  to  the 
north;  and  here  I  keep  thinking  we  are  running  to 
the  north  instead  of  the  south.  The  right  banli  is  on 
your  right  going  with  the  current,  and  that  makes  it 
on  the  east  side." 

"Quite  right,  Mr.  McG-avonty,"  laughed  the  con- 
ductor. "  We  are  on  the  east  side  now,  and  so  are 
Luxor  and  Karnak." 

"  Heave  ahead,  my  hearties,"  added  Scott. 

The  party  arrived  at  the  Temple  of  Lnxor,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  make  a  survey  of  it.  The  foundation  of 
Thebes  is  said  to  date  back  to  the  time  of  the  First 
Dynasty,  the  average  date  of  which  is  nearly  four  thou- 
sand years  before  Christ ;  but  nothing  has  been  found 
among  the  ruins  to  indicate  an  earlier  period  than 
twenty-five  hundred  years  before  our  era.  Its  most 
flourishing  period  was  from  1600  down  to  1100  e.g., 
when  it  was  thrown  into  the  shade  by  Memphis,  the 
capital  of  the  Pharaohs. 

The  temple  is  a  very  long  building,  with  an  impos- 
ing pylon,  or  portico,  with  obelisks  and  colossal  stat- 
ues in  front  of  it.  The  interior  is  filled  with  hundreds 
of  columns.  It  was  difficult  for  the  party  of  visitors 
to  "take  in"  so  extensive  a  structure.  The  great 
Peristyle  Court  is  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  feet 
long  by  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  feet  wide,  with 
two  rows  of  columns.  Beyond  this,  leading  to  the 
middle  court,  is  the  Colonnade,  one  hundred  and 
seventy-four  feet  long,  with  seven  pairs  of  pillars 
forty-two  feet  high.  The  second  Peristyle  Court  is 
similar  to  the  first. 


RUINS  OF  TEMPLES  AND  PILES  STUPENDOUS      329 

It  is  an  immense  building,  and  it  was  several  times 
enlarged  by  different  monarchs.  The  party  paused 
at  the  entrance  to  the  temple  they  had  visited  to  ex- 
amine the  obelisk  near  it,  and  to  see  if  they  could 
make  anything  of  the  quaint  figures  sculptured  on  the 
walls;  but  the  hieroglyphics  were  as  uncommunica- 
tive to  them  as  they  had  been  to  all  the  learned  of 
the  world  before  the  time  of  Champollion.  The  com- 
pany were  much  interested  in  this  temple,  and  were 
rather  sorry  to  be  called  away  from  it  to  visit  Karnak. 


830  UP  AND  DOWN   THE  NILE 


CHAPTER   XXXV 

KARNAK,    THE    COLOSSI,    AND    PHIL^ 

The  distance  from  the  Temple  of  Luxor  to  Karnak 
is  nearly  a  mile;  but  in  the  days  of  the  Ramses  the 
avenue  leading  to  it  was  bordered  with  sphinxes,  and 
there  are  several  roads  of  this  description  near  tliese 
vast  structures.  A  few  of  these  ligures  remain  in  a 
very  ruinous  condition.  The  party  mounted  the  don- 
keys, for  they  were  tired  after  the  walks  in  the  Temple 
of  Luxor. 

Though  the  members  of  the  company  were  not 
much  given  to  gushing,  and  had  become  accustomed 
to  magnificent  and  wonderful  sights  in  their  travels, 
they  could  not  restrain  some  expressions  of  wonder 
and  admiration  as  they  approached  the  Temple  of 
Ammon  at  Karnak.  Most  of  them  had  read  some- 
thing of  the  marvellous  structures  of  Upper  Egypt ; 
but  they  were  not  prepared  for  the  reality  as  they 
found  it. 

"  But  who  was  Ammon,  whose  name  was  given  to 
the  temple  ?  "  asked  Miss  Blanche,  whose  devoted 
knight  was  at  her  side  as  usual  when  he  could  obtain 
this  desirable  position. 

"  He  was  the  chief  of  the  Egyptian  deities,  and  the 


KARNAK,  THE   COLOSSI,  AXD    PHIL^  331 

Greeks  and  Romans  identified  him  with  Jupiter,  or 
Zeus.  There  is  what  is  left  of  one  of  the  sphinxes 
that  formerly  lined  the  avenue,"  replied  Louis. 

"  It  has  the  head  of  a  goat,"  added  the  maiden. 

"  Hardly  ;  it  is  the  head  of  a  ram.  The  god  was 
given  the  form  of  a  ram  with  a  human  head ;  and  you 
will  see  no  end  of  this  symbol  among  these  ruins, 
though  I  find  it  quite  impossible  to  keep  the  run  of 
the  various  animals  that  figure  in  the  mythology 
of  the  ancient  Egyptians." 

"  Did  Ramses  II.  take  his  name  from  this  symbol  ?  " 
asked  the  fair  maiden  innocently. 

"Not  at  all,"  laughed  Louis,  though  he  saw  that 
his  companion  did  not  intend  to  make  a  pun.  Ram- 
ses was  hardly  his  name  when  he  was  living.  He 
was  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Bible,  and  the  Sesostris  of 
the  Greeks ;  but  I  don't  know  what  his  name  was  when 
he  was  in  the  flesh,  in  the  living  flesh  I  mean,  for  his 
mummied  form  is  still  preserved." 

"  Of  Ramses  II.  !  "  exclaimed  Blanche. 

"  The  successor  of  Mariette  in  charge  of  the  anti- 
quities of  Egypt,  suspected  from  the  appearance  of 
relics  in  the  hands  of  travellers,  that  an  Arab  had 
discovered  a  tomb  from  which  priceless  treasures  were 
obtained  and  sold.  It  was  a  mystery ;'  and  Professor 
Maspero,  who  succeeded  the  great  Egyptologist,  deter- 
mined to  solve  it.  He  came  to  Luxor  at  once,  and  had 
the  Arab  arrested ;  but  he  was  as  silent  as  a  martyr, 
and  remained  in  prison  two  months.  A  reward  of 
$2,500  was  offered  for  the   secret,  and   the   brother 


332  UP    AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

of  the  robber  obtained  it.  He  conducted  the  author- 
ities to  a  desolate  spot  in  the  Great  Necropolis.  They 
descended  about  forty  feet,  and  found  a  long  gallery 
and  vault,  both  of  which  contained  thirty-six  mum- 
mies, over  twenty  of  which  were  of  royal  personages. 
Among  them  were  the  remains  of  Ramses  II.,  which, 
with  others,  is  now  in  the  Gizeh  Museum,  to  which 
they  are  this  year  removing  the  antiquities  of  that  at 
Bulak.'' 

"I  heard  something  about  that  museum,  and  we 
are  to  visit  it  on  our  return  to  Cairo,"  replied  the 
young  lady.     "  But  what  is  this  in  front  of  us  ?  " 

"That  is  the  propylon,  or  front  gate,  of  the  great 
Temple  of  Ammon.  Here  is  a  plan  of  the  whole 
thing,"  said  Louis,  opening  his  guide-book. 

This  structure  is  three  hundred  and  seventy-two 
feet  wide,  and  one  hundred  and  forty -two  high.  As 
it  stands  now  it  is  something  like  the  triumphal  arches 
one  sees  in  Paris  and  Eome.  There  are  six  of  these 
stupendous  gateways,  all  of  them  ornamented  with 
historical  or  mythological  sculpture.  The  buildings 
contain  a  series  of  gigantic  courts  and  halls,  most  of 
them  filled  or  surrounded  with  immense  columns  which 
filled  the  beholders  with  wonder  at  their  size  and 
admiration  of  their  fine  workmanship. 

The  young  men  of  the  party  mounted  to  the  top  of 
the  pylon  by  available  stairs,  and  had  a  wonderful 
story  to  tell  of  their  visit  and  what  they  had  observed, 
on  their  return.  They  mentioned  the  smaller  temples 
they  had  seen,  and  some  of  these  were  visited,  each  of 
which  was  explained  by  the  conductor. 


KARNAK,  THE   COLOSSI,  AND  PHIL^         333 

The  Hypostyle  Hall,  as  it  is  called,  seemed  to  be 
the  crowning  wonder.  It  was  built  about  1500  b.c, 
and  is  three  hundred  and  thirty-eight  feet  long  by 
one  hundred  and  seventy  wide,  is  therefore  big  enough 
to  take  in  the  Church  of  Notre  Dame  in  Paris,  or  any 
church  in  the  United  States.  It  is  literally  packed 
with  columns,  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  in  number, 
which  support  the  roof.  The  two  rows  which  extend 
down  the  centre  are  higher  than  the  others,  sixty-nine 
feet.  Those  on  the  two  sides  are  forty-two  feet  high. 
These  pillars  are  square,  and  over  eleven  feet  deep, 
or  as  large  on  the  floor  as  a  fair-sized  chamber. 

The  party  followed  during  the  rest  of  the  day  the 
leading  of  the  conductor  through  avenues  of  columns, 
some  square  like  those  described,  and  some  round, 
with  capitals,  in  imitation  of  the  calyx  of  a  flower,  the 
bud  of  the  papyrus  generally  ;  and  then  they  had 
enough  for  the  first  day.  The  dinner  at  the  hotel 
was  excellent ;  and  the  tourists  were  tired  enough  in 
the  evening  to  rest,  though  they  had  a  visit  from  the 
American  vice-consul,  a  native.  Similar  ofiB.cials  re- 
main at  the  large  places  on  the  Nile  to  assist  travel- 
lers from  the  United  States. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  company  crossed  the 
river  in  boats  to  the  necropolis  of  Thebes.  On  their 
way  up  the  river  they  had  observed  many  contri- 
vances, some  worked  by  steam,  others  by  oxen,  and 
a  greater  number  by  hand,  for  irrigating  the  land; 
but  here  they  had  an  opportunity  to  examine  more 
closely  one  of  these  "  shadufs,"  as  they  are  called.     It 


334  UP  AND   DOWN  THE  NILE 

was  on  the  principle  of  the  old-time  well-sweep,  con- 
sisting of  a  long  pole,  pivoted  in  the  centre,  with  a 
weight  at  one  end  and  a  perpendicular  pole  at  the 
other,  to  which  the  bucket  was  attached,  and  lowered 
into  the  water.  It  is  drawn  up  when  the  pail  is  filled, 
and  the  contents  emptied  into  a  trench,  or  reservoir. 
Where  the  height  was  too  great  for  one  sweep,  another 
was  fixed  above  it. 

Donkeys  were  in  readiness,  and  the  tourists  pro- 
ceeded to  examine  the  city  of  the  ancient  dead.  The 
first  point  reached  were  the  Colossi  of  Memnon. 
These  two  immense  statues  have  suffered  a  great  deal 
from  the  lapse  of  time,  and  an  artist  need  not  go  into 
rhapsodies  over  them  except  as  representatives  of  by- 
gone ages.  The  figures  are  seated  on  their  thrones, 
and  were  set  up  in  honor  of  Amenhotep  III.  This 
king  was  a  Memnon,  but  not  the  same  as  the  Greek 
of  Homer.  These  Colossi  formerly  stood  in  front  of 
a  Memnonium,  or  temple,  entirely  destroyed. 

The  height  of  the  figures,  including  the  pedestal,  is 
sixty-four  feet.  Each  foot  is  ten  and  a  half  feet  long, 
and  the  leg  below  the  knee  not  quite  twenty  feet.  It 
is  about  the  same  across  the  shoulders,  and  the  middle 
finger  is  four  and  a  half  feet  long.  The  northern  of 
them  is  the  noted  vocal  Memnon,  "  which  at  sunrise 
played."  This  was  doubtless  a  trick  of  the  priests,  as 
the  poet  suggests.  It  refused  to  give  any  utterance 
for  several  days  when  kings  and  princes  came  to  it  to 
hear  the  wonderful  sounds  ;  but  it  played  twice  when 
the  Emperor  Hadrian  visited  it  one  morning,  after  a 


KARNAK,  THE   COLOSSI,  AND    PHIL^         335 

long  silence ;  and  the  peoj)le  reverenced  the  monarch 
on  account  of  the  special  favor  granted  to  him.  Give 
a  franc  to  an  Arab,  and  he  will  reproduce  the  sound 
by  striking  a  certain  stone  with  a  hammer. 

During  the  inundation  the  water  rises  to  the  toes  of 
the  statues,  and  they  seem  to  be  holding  court  in  a 
lake.  The  Ramesseum,  commonly  called  the  Mem- 
nonium  of  Eamses  II.,  was  next  visited.  It  is  a  vast 
building,  but  age  has  left  many  marks  upon  it.  It 
was  originally  two  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  width, 
but  it  is  not  all  there  now.  It  contains  courts,  peri- 
styles, and  columns,  and  especially  the  fallen  statue 
of  Eamses,  the  most  gigantic  stone  figure  in  Egypt, 
which  is  saying  a  great  deal.  It  was  twenty-three 
and  a  half  feet  across  the  shoulders. 

The  party  spent  the  rest  of  the  second  day  at  Luxor 
in  visiting  and  revisiting  both  the  temples  of  Karnak 
and  those  in  the  necropolis ;  and  the  more  they  saw 
the  more  their  wonder  increased  at  the  magnitude  of 
the  enormous  structures.  Many  volumes  have  been 
written  about  them,  and  additional  information  is 
obtained  from  time  to  time,  and  added  to  the  vast 
store  of  knowledge  accumulated.  The  mysteries  of 
the  present  may  be  made  plain  in  the  future. 

On  the  twelfth  day  of  the  excursion  the  steamer 
proceeded  to  Edfu.  It  was  Sunday,  and  the  com- 
mander insisted  that  it  should  be  made  strictly  a  day 
of  rest,  which  all  needed.  But  the  next  morning  the 
party  went  to  the  Temple  of  Edfu,  which  was  a  vast 
structure,   though   they   visited   only   a  few   of   the 


336  UP  AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

principal  halls.  The  voyage  was  renewed,  and  the 
quarries  from  which  most  of  the  stone  for  the  wonder- 
ful buildings  had  been  brought  were  pointed  out  to 
them.  At  Kom  Ombo  the  steamer  moored  for  the 
night,  and  the  next  morning  proceeded  on  her  trip, 
arriving  at  Assuan  at  noon ;  and  this  was  the  termina- 
tion of  the  upward  voyage  of  the  Karnak. 

Three  days  were  passed  here ;  and  after  dinner  the 
tourists  went  over  to  the  island  of  Elephantine,  glad 
to  escape  for  the  time  from  the  Arab  and  Egyptian 
pedlers  who  surrounded  them  as  soon  as  they  ap- 
peared. But  the  ladies  were  pleased  with  the  black 
and  gray  ostrich  feathers  shown  to  them,  and  in- 
tended to  purchase  some  of  them  later,  for  they  were 
very  cheap  here. 

There  was  formerly  a  temple  on  this  island,  the 
conductor  informed  the  company ;  but  some  of  them 
were  glad  that  Mohammed  Ali  had  caused  it  to  be  re- 
moved to  make  room  for  the  palace  he  erected  in  its 
place.  They  looked  at  the  Nilometer  here ;  but  it 
was  similar  to  the  one  they  had  seen  at  Cairo,  and 
they  were  not  greatly  interested.  There  were  plenty 
of  blocks  of  stone  on  the  island,  which  had  occupied 
places  in  buildings  that  had  now  disappeared. 

There  is  a  railroad  from  Assuan  to  the  shore  op- 
posite the  island  of  Philse,  and  the  travellers  were 
glad  of  a  little  change  of  conveyance.  It  was  too  far 
from  the  river  to  permit  them  to  see  the  First  Cata- 
ract from  the  windows  as  they  passed  it.  The  Nile 
i..;  filled  here  with  islands  for  about  five  miles,  most 


■»      >   > 


KARNAK,  THE   COLOSSI,  AND   PHIL^  337 

of  which  are  inhabited.  The  party  were  ferried  over 
the  river  to  the  island,  which  was  sacred  to  Isis,  as 
well  as  the  temple  on  it. 

"  If  you  will  take  a  seat  here  on  this  ruin,  under 
the  date-palms,"  said  Mr.  Hornbrook,  "I  will  tell  you 
a  story  about  Osiris,  one  of  whose  graves  was  on  this 
island." 

"  How  many  graves  did  it  take  to  hold  him  ?  "  asked 
Scott. 

"  Fourteen ;  Ijut  hear  the  narrative  from  mythology," 
replied  the  conductor.  "  Osiris  and  Isis,  to  the  latter 
of  whom  the  temple  yonder  was  erected,  were  brother 
and  sister ;  but  they  married,  after  the  ancient  custom, 
and  had  three  children,  one  of  whom  was  Typhon,  a 
bad  character.  His  parents  had  a  happy  reign,  and 
the  realm  became  very  prosperous.  The  wicked  son 
conspired  against  his  worthy  father,  and  at  a  banquet 
induced  him  to  lie  down  in  a  curiously  prepared 
chest. 

"  The  conspirators  closed  the  receptacle,  and  then 
threw  it  into  the  Nile.  It  floated  down  the  river,  and 
went  ashore  in  the  Delta.  Isis  wandered  about  in  the 
greatest  distress,  seeking  her  missing  husband.  At 
last  she  found  the  strange  chest,  and  concealed  it. 
While  engaged  in  a  boar-hunt,  Typhon  found  the 
body  of  the  god,  cut  it  into  fourteen  pieces,  and 
scattered  them  over  the  country.  Isis  learned  what 
had  been  done,  and  she  gathered  up  the  parts.  As 
fast  as  one  was  found,  she  buried  it,  and  erected  a 
monument  to  her  husband.     This  is  why  it  required 


838  UP   AND   DOWN    THE   NILE 

fourteen  graves  to  bury  him.  Osiris,  however,  was 
not  dead,  but  continued  his  reign  in  the  lower  regions. 
He  trained  his  son  Horus  for  battle,  and  the  latter 
w^aged  war  against  Typhon,  whom  he  defeated,  but 
could  not  destroy.  Xow  Osiris  is  the  principle  of 
light,  and  Typhon  of  darkness." 

"  That  is  very  good  mythology,"  said  the  com- 
mander, as  he  rose  from  his  seat.  "  Now  we  will 
see  the  Temple  of  Isis ;  but  I  doubt  if  we  find  the 
grave  of  Osiris." 

The  temple  was  on  the  east  shore  of  the  island,  and 
it  was  interesting  enough  to  occupy  them  for  several 
hours.  It  contained  the  usual  courts,  chambers,  and 
columns,  more  beautiful  and  impressive  to  look  at 
than  to  read  about.  But  they  were  more-  delighted 
with  the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  island,  though  the 
temples  added  to  the  picturesque  prospect.  Boats 
had  been  sent  up  as  far  as  the  cataract  to  convey  the 
travellers  back  to  Assuau. 

They  were  obliged  to  walk  about  a  mile  to  reach  a 
safe  place  for  the  embarkation ;  but  the  path  was 
along  the  bank  of  the  river,  which  afforded  them  a 
good  view  of  the  islands  and  of  the  cataract,  so  that 
the  time  was  not  wasted.  The  young  men  did  not 
consider  it  as  of  any  great  account  as  a  waterfall,  and 
thought  it  was  honored  with  a  title  it  hardly  deserved. 

^'  I  should  call  it  the  rapids,  for  that  is  all  there  is 
of  it,"  said  Morris.  "You  could  make  a  hundred 
such  out  of  the  river  above  the  falls  at  Niagara." 

"But   they  make   a  big  thing  of   it  here,  and   I 


KARNAK,  THE   COLOSSI,  AND    PHIL^  339 

should  say  it  -wo-iild  be  a  difficult  matter  to  work  a 
dahabeah  against  the  current,"  added  Scott. 

"If  you  were  in  one  you  would  find  it  so,"  sug- 
gested the  conductor.  "Before  the  English  took  a 
hand  in  the  affairs  of  Egypt  farther  up  the  Xile, 
many  dahabeahs  used  to  go  up  to  the  Second  Cataract ; 
but  they  don't  do  it  now,  for  the  country  is  not  always 
safe  there.  It  used  to  take  from  sixty  to  a  hundred 
men  to  haul  one  of  these  boats  up  the  rapids.  The 
Arabs  magnified  the  difficulties  in  order  to  increase 
the  price." 

"  But  what  do  all  these  boys  want  ?  "  asked  Louis, 
when  a  squad  of  nearly  naked  young  Arabs  presented 
themselves. 

^^  Bakshish,  for  which  they  will  make  the  descent 
through  the  rapids  on  a  log,  or  without  one/'  replied 
the  conductor. 

The  young  men  were  more  anxious  to  see  this  feat 
than  to  gaze  upon  the  ruins  of  past  ages,  and  three  of 
the  Nubians  were  feed  for  the  purpose.  The  sight  was 
not  very  exciting,  but  it  amused  the  party  for  a  time. 
The  sailors  drove  off  the  beggars,  and  the  company 
proceeded  on  their  way.  Mr.  Hornbrook  gave  the 
names  of  the  islands ;  but  the  trip  was  rather  tame, 
perhaps  because  the  party  were  tired  of  sight-seeing 
for  the  present.  But  that  did  not  prevent  them  from 
visiting  the  Arab  cemeteries  in  the  vicinity  after  they 
landed.  The  graves  were  in  the  midst  of  the  desert, 
each  with  a  rectangle  of  rough  stones  on  it,  with  a 
slab  bearing  an  inscription,  the  date  of  some  of  which 
went  back  to  the  ninth  century. 


340  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

Making  their  way  from  the  cemetery  through  the 
vagabonds  that  beset  them,  they  reached  the  steamer. 
The  conductor  announced  that  the  trip,  so  far  as  sight- 
seeing was  concerned,  was  practically  finished.  On 
the  fifteenth  day  of  the  excursion,  the  Karnak  was 
headed  down  the  river,  and  moored  at  Edfu  for  the 
night. 


THE  HALL   OF   THE  BOYAL  MUMMIES  341 


Zl 


CHAPTEE  XXXYI 

THE    HALL    OF    THE    ROYAL    MUMMIES 

The  stupendous  monuments  of  antiquity  had  largely 
occupied  the  attention  of  the  party  from  the  Guar- 
dian-Mother for  fifteen  days;  and  they  found  the 
time  allotted  to  seeing  these  wonders  by  the  Gaze 
managers  amply  sufficient  for  persons  unlearned  in 
Egyptology.  They  had  looked  upon  them  simply  as 
sight-seers,  gathering  what  information  they  could  as 
they  went  along. 

But  the  visits  to  pyramids,  temples,  tombs,  and 
colossi  were  not  the  whole  of  the  trip  up  and  down 
the  Nile.  The  social  features  of  the  journey  had 
been  greatly  enjoyed.  They  were  rather  early  in  the 
season  ;  but  they  had  fallen  in  with  quite  a  number  of 
private  parties  in  dahabeahs,  and  had  made  some  very 
pleasant  acquaintances.  Those  whom  they  met  were 
naturally  very  much  interested  in  the  voyage  around 
the  world,  which  had  to  be  related  many  times,  and 
the  evening  meetings  with  English  and  American 
parties   travelling   over  the   same   route    were   very 

delightful. 

Mrs.   Belgrave  had   taken   care  that  the  "Gospel 
Hymns,"    containing   the   music,  should  be  brought 


342  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

along ;  and  the  singing  was  apparently  enjoyed  quite 
as  much  by  the  visitors  to  the  Karnak  as  by  the 
"  Karnakers  "  themselves.  Then  there  were  no  trou- 
blesome calculations  about  the  weather  when  they 
were  going  on  an  expedition  to  a  tomb  or  a  pyramid. 
It  was  always  practically  pleasant.  Uncle  Moses  was 
the  weather  prophet  of  the  tour,  and  he  kept  a  record 
of  it.  Not  a  drop  of  rain  had  fallen  since  the  com- 
pany left  Cairo ;  and  though  the  travellers  had  jour- 
neyed to  the  verge  of  the  Torrid  Zone,  the  heat  had 
never  been  oppressive. 

"  I  had  an  idea  that  the  Cupids  of  this  excursion 
would  have  been  about  melted  by  this  time/'  said 
Uncle  Moses,  after  the  Karnak  had  moored  at  Edfu, 
and  the  party  had  seated  themselves  on  the  prome- 
nade deck  just  before  dark.  "  I  expected  that  Brother 
Adipose  Tissue  would  have  parted  with  twenty  pounds 
of  flesh  by  this  time." 

"On  the  contrary,  I  think  I  have  added  another 
quarter  of  an  ounce  to  my  weight,"  chuckled  Dr. 
Hawkes.  "Brother  Avoirdupois  does  not  appear  to 
be  a  particle  more  shadowy  than  when  we  left  Alex- 
andria, and  neither  of  us  had  ever  mounted  a  camel." 

"What  are  the  weather  figures  you  have  noted. 
Uncle  Moses  ?  "  asked  Captain  Einggold. 

"  I  was  looking  them  over  just  as  we  left  Assuan, 
and  I  found  that  the  glass  has  gone  up  to  80  only  on 
two  days  during  the  voyage,"  replied  the  weather- 
man. "  The  sky  has  been  clear  most  of  the  time,  and 
I  could  not  find  a  day  on  which  the  wind  had  been 


THE   HALL   OF  THE   KOYAL  MUMMIES  343 

either  east  or  west.  It  was  always  either  north  or 
south.  We  had  it  south  south-west  for  four  days  begin- 
ning with  the  third  of  the  trip.  On  five  days  it  has 
been  a  little  cloudy.  We'  had  one  foggy  morning 
only.     The  prevailing  winds  were  from  the  north." 

"  But  the  wind  is  west  now,"  said  the  commander. 

"  I  see  that  it  has  changed  from  the  north,"  added 
Uncle  INIoses  ;  and  it  continued  in  that  quarter  for  the 
next  six  days,  so  that  his  deductions  were  materially 
changed  when  the  Karnak  arrived  at  Buluk. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  give  the  details  of  the  return 
voyage  down  the  Nile  of  the  Karnak,  for  the  novelty 
of  the  trip  was  gone.  But  the  time  was  not  wasted, 
for  several  points  of  interest  were  visited  which  had 
been  left  on  the  upward  passage.  Christmas  was 
properly  celebrated  with  an  excellent  dinner,  and 
Santa  Claus  paid  a  visit  to  the  steamer,  though  he 
must  have  found  it  hard  sledding  where  not  a  flake 
of  snow  had  ever  fallen.  The  stockings  were  not 
hung  up,  but  there  was  an  exchange  of  gifts  among 
the  younger  members  of  the  party. 

Louis  engaged  Chloe  to  pin  the  Greek  cap  he  had 
purchased  in  the  Muski,  on  the  occasion  of  his  unfor- 
tunate visit  to  the  shop  of  Pierre  Ulbach,  to  the 
pillow  of  Miss  Blanche's  bed  after  she  had  gone  to 
sleep.  He  had  been  so  mortified  by  the  adventure 
that  he  had  kept  the  cap  out  of  sight  after  he  went  on 
board  of  the  Karnak.  But  the  beautiful  young  lady 
appeared  at  breakfast  wearing  the  pretty  headdress ; 
and  it  produced  a  decided  sensation,  for  she  could 


344  UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

have  worn  nothing  that  added  so  much  to  her  native 
loveliness. 

Louis  was  positively  enraptured  at  her  appearance, 
and  Dr.  Hawkes  declared  that  Cleopatra  must  have 
been  tame  in  her  beauty  compared  with  the  belle  of 
the  Karnak.  The  young  lady  was  very  much  puzzled 
to  know  who  had  been  the  donor  of  the  gift,  though 
others  had  not  the  least  difficulty  in  determining  who 
he  was.  But  the  point  was  not  settled  at  the  table ; 
and  her  mother  whispered  to  her  that  she  had  better 
say  nothing  more  about  it,  for  everybody  else  knew 
from  whom  it  came. 

■    ^^It  was   either  papa  or  Morris,"   said   she   after 
breakfast. 

"  Of  course  it  was  Louis  Belgrave,  child,"  replied 
Mrs.  Woolridge.     "  How  dull  you  are  !  " 

She  did  not  believe  it  even  then,  and  she  asked 
Louis  about  it.  With  a  heavy  blush  he  confessed 
that  he  was  guilty,  and  explained  in  what  manner  he 
had  happened  to  purchase  it,  though  he  was  careful 
not  to  add  any  of  the  attending  circumstances  of  his 
visit  to  the  shop.  The  steamer  continued  on  her  voy- 
age down  the  river  during  the  day,  which  was  given 
up  to  fun  and  frolic. 

"  I  don't  know  precisely  where  we  are  going  when 
we  have  seen  all  we  desire  of  Egypt,"  said  Louis,  on 
the  following  day,  when  the  party  were  gathered  on 
deck.     "  I  suppose  we  are  going  somewhere." 

"No  doubt  of  it,"  replied  Captain  Kinggold.  "^'e 
shall  go  through  the  Red  Sea  on  our  way  to  India ; 


THE   HALL   OF   THE    ROYAL   MUMMIES  345 

but  there  is  sometliing  more  of  Egypt  to  see  if  we 
choose  to  see  it,  and  that  question  is  still  to  be 
decided.  There  are  two  more  cities  on  the  north, 
Rosetta  and  Damietta,  though  it  would  hardly  pay  to 
visit  either  of  them." 

"  I  believe  the  Rosetta  Stone  is  in  the  British  Mu- 
seum," added  Louis. 

"  It  is  ;  I  have  seen  it  there,"  replied  Mr.  Horn- 
brook.  "  The  Tablet  of  Tanis,  now  in  the  Museum  of 
BMak  or  Gizeh,  confirmed  the  discoveries  of  Cham- 
pollion." 

"Like  Mariette,  Champollion  was  a  Frenchman, 
born  in  1791,"  added  Prof essor  Giroud.  "  He  devoted 
himself  from  his  boyhood  to  the  study  of  the  Oriental 
languages,  especially  the  Coptic.  He  became  a  pro- 
fessor of  history  in  Paris,  but  was  dismissed  for  his 
Bonapartism.  He  wrote  several  works  on  Egyptian 
subjects.  His  study  of  the  languages  prepared  him 
for  his  special  work.  Up  to  his  time  no  one  had  been 
able  to  make  anything  of  the  Egyptian  hieroglyphics. 

"  In  1824  this  diligent  student  arrived  at  the  con- 
clusion that  these  symbols  you  have  seen  on  temples, 
tombs,  and  pyramids  were  the  representatives  of  either 
sounds,  like  the  characters  used  by  a  short-hand 
writer,  or  the  signs  of  ideas,  like  words.  He  made  an 
alphabet  of  twenty-five  letters,  representing  sounds. 
But  these  were  only  a  portion  of  the  resources  of  the 
Egyptian  language,  for  the  symbols  representing  ideas 
were  practically  unlimited,  and  1700  of  them  were  in 
use. 


346  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"  As  among  the  American  Indians  and  tlie  Aztecs, 
ideas  were  sometimes  represented  by  pictures,  as 
gladness  was  shown  by  a  woman  beating  a  tambourine, 
or  a  man  dancing ;  a  jackal  meant  cunning  or  trick- 
ery, and  so  on.  With  hardly  anything  to  work  upon, 
Champollion  solved  the  mystery  in  the  Eosetta  Stone, 
which  Napoleon's  engineers  discovered  in  1799,  and 
which  the  English  carried  to  London.  The  subject  is 
too  difhcult  and  complicated  to  be  explained  here  ; 
but  in  the  library  of  the  ship  something  may  be  done 
in  that  way." 

'^  But  what  is  the  inscription  about  ?  "  asked  Mrs. 
Belgrave. 

"  That  is  of  far  less  consequence  than  the  service 
it  rendered  learning  through  Champollion,  which 
Niebuhr,  the  distinguished  geographer,  said  was  the 
greatest  discovery  of  the  century.  The  stone  con- 
tains the  record  of  a  resolution  passed  by  the  priests 
setting  forth  the  glories  of  Ptolemy  V.,  though  he  was 
a  boy  of  only  fourteen.  The  Tablet  of  Tanis,  which 
you  saw  at  Btlak,  or  may  see,  records  the  Decree  of 
Canopus,  a  sacred  city  about  fifteen  miles  east  of 
Alexandria,  in  honor  of  Ptolemy  III.,  and  also  to 
the  Princess  Berenice,  who  died  young  and  unmarried, 
and  was  called  'The  Princess  of  Virgins.'  This  stone, 
like  that  of  Eosetta,  was  to  be  set  up  in  the  highest 
temples." 

It  would  be  impossible  to  report  all  the  instructive 
conversations  that  took  place  on  the  deck  and  in  the 
Oabins  of  the  Karnak.     On  the  third  day  of  January 


THE   HALL    OF   THE   ROYAL    MUMMIES  347 

the  steamer  arriv^ed  at  Btilak,  and  the  excursion  was 
finished.  The  officers  and  servants  on  board  were 
liberally  rewarded  by  the  commander,  for  they  had 
been  all  that  was  required  of  them. 

As  soon  as  the  party  reached  Cairo  and  were  again 
installed  in  the  hotel,  Louis  took  Don  with  him,  and 
made  a  visit  to  the  Muski.  The  shop  of  Pierre  Ulbacli 
was  closed,  and  he  set  the  engineer  to  inquiring  what 
had  become  of  him.  It  appeared  he  had  failed  in 
business,  after  robbing  his  creditors.  A  policeman 
gave  this  information,  and  he  spoke  French.  Louis 
asked  him  what  had  become  of  the  brother  of  the  shop- 
keeper and  another  man  who  had  been  with  him. 
They  had  left  together,  and  gone  to  Eosetta.  One  of 
them  had  been  hurt  by  falling  down  the  trap-door 
steps. 

Louis  was  satisfied  with  this  information,  and  it 
fully  justified  the  prophecy  of  the  commander  that 
nothing  would  be  done  about  the  shooting.  The 
party  spent  another  week  in  Cairo,  and  made  three 
visits  in  this  time  to  the  Citadel,  with  its  magnificent 
view.  They  spent  three  days  in  exploring  the  mu- 
seum, both  at  BMak  and  at  Gizeh.  In  the  latter  they 
saw  what  some  of  them  considered  the  most  wonder- 
ful sight  they  had  seen. 

In  the  "  Hall  of  the  Eoyal  Mummies  "  they  saw  the 
remains  of  the  kings  and  queens,  which  had  been  dis- 
covered, as  before  related,  as  late  as  1881,  hardly  more 
than  ten  years  before  their  visit.  They  looked  them 
over  with  especial  interest,  and  all  the  rest  of  the 


348  UP  AND  DOWN  THE   NILE 

museum  seemed  to  gather  interest  from  their  pres- 
ence. These  emblems  of  mortality  appeared  to  make 
the  past  more  real  to  them  than  tombs  and  temples. 

^'  This  is  the  mummy  of  Eamses  III.,"  said  Mr.  Horn- 
brook.  "  He  was  the  Ehampsinitus  of  the  Greek,  and 
reigned  over  1200  years  before  the  time  of  Christ. 
The  inscriptions  on  the  coifin  record  that  this  body 
was  moved  twice.  Here  also  are  the  coffin  and  mummy 
of  Ramses  II.,  sometimes  called  Ramses  the  Great, 
for  he  was  the  most  powerful  king  of  his  time.  He 
was  also,  as  you  have  been  told  before,  the  Pharaoh 
who  oppressed  the  Isralites,  and  tried  to  follow  them 
across  the  Red  Sea,  as  you  read  in  your  Bibles." 

"  That  the  body  of  Pharaoh ! "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Blossom,  with  an  attitude  that  was  almost  tragic. 
"  I  can  hardly  believe  it ! " 

"  I  have  no  doubt  about  it,"  added  the  commander. 
"The  most  learned  men  of  the  age  have  proved  it," 
said  the  conductor.  "  As  you  don't  read  hieroglyphics 
yourself,  you  will  have  to  take  the  word  of  the  schol- 
ars for  it.  But  the  Hebrew  in  which  the  Old  Testa- 
ment was  written  is  just  as  intelligible  to  you  as  the 
inscription  on  this  mummy  case." 

"I  suppose  I  must  believe  it,"  replied  the  good 

lady.     "But   how   strange   that    I,    Sarah    Blossom, 

should  be  looking  at  the  dead  body  of  old  Pharaoh  ! " 

"  I  suppose  you  are  sure  he  is  dead,  are  you  not  7  " 

asked  Mr.  Hornbrook. 

"  What  a  question !     How  long  has  he  been  dead  ?  " 
"  Over  three  thousand  years." 


THE   HALL   OF   THE   ROYAL  MUMMIES         349 

"  Good  gracious  !  '^ 

The  entire  day  was  spent  among  these  royal  mum- 
mies, and  there  was  enough  to  occupy  the  attention  of 
the  party,  even  including  the  boys.  Two  other  days 
were  used  up  among  other  curiosities.  On  another 
day  the  company  went  to  a  mosque  again  for  the  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  a  better  idea  of  the  worship  of  the 
Mohammedan  religion,  which  was  explained  to  them 
by  Mr.  Hornbrook. 

At  the  end  of  the  second  week  the  tourists  pro- 
ceeded to  Alexandria,  and  went  on  board  of  the  Guar- 
dian-Mother, still  attended  by  the  conductor.  One  of 
the  first  vessels  that  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
commander,  when  he  came  on  board,  was  a  steamer  of 
four  hundred  tons,  anchored  nearly  a  mile  from  the 
ship.  Glasses  were  soon  brought  to  bear  upon  her, 
and  it  was  soon  settled  beyond  a  doubt  that  she  was 
the  Fatime. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  Mazagan  has  brought  his  wounded 
companion  on  board  of  the  Pacha's  steam-yacht,  and 
her  presence  here  indicates  that  they  have  not  aban- 
doned their  plan,"  said  the  commander.  "That 
treacherous  Moor  now  in  command  of  the  Fatime 
evidently  has  some  other  scheme  to  carry  out,  and  we 
shall  not  know  what  it  is  till  he  develops  it  in  his 
actions." 

"  It  is  a  question  of  so  much  money  with  him,"  re- 
plied Louis,  to  whom  the  captain  had  pointed  out  the 
vessel.  "  I  don't  see  that  we  can  say  or  do  anything 
to  prevent  him  from  following  the  Guardian-Mother.'' 


350  UP   AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

"  Perhaps  we  can/'  added  Captain  Einggold  tliought- 
fuUy,     "  I  will  do  what  I  thought  of  in  Cairo.'' 

"  What  is  that,  sir  ?  " 

"  I  may  write  to  Ali-Noury  Pacha,  and  inform  him 
of  the  manner  in  which  Mazagan  offered  to  sell  him 
out  for  half  the  price  he  was  to  pay  him,  and  collect 
the  other  half  of  his  employer." 

"  I  am  afraid  the  Pacha  will  not  believe  you,"  sug- 
gested Louis. 

"  I  have  not  entire  faith  in  the  plan ;  but  in  the 
meantime  we  can  be  as  vigilant  as  ever  in  the  protec- 
tion of  our  passengers.  If  it  were  not  for  the  Maud, 
we  should  have  no  difficulty  in  running  away  from  the 
Patime.  I  suppose  her  ship's  company  still  desire 
to  navigate  her  over  the  Eed  Sea  and  the  Indian 
Ocean." 

"  Do  you  think  of  disposing  of  her  ?  "  asked  Louis, 
somewhat  startled  by  the  idea. 

"  We  have  kept  the  Maud  in  the  water  much  longer 
than  I  supposed  we  should  when  she  was  purchased," 
replied  the  commander,  closely  observing  the  expres- 
sion of  the  young  owner.  ''  As  you  a,re  aware,  I  had 
the  upper  deck  strengthened,  and  everything  prepared 
to  take  her  out  of  the  water,  and  carry  her  on  board 
like  any  of  the  other  boats.  We  can  hoist  her  up  at 
any  time  ;  and  the  question  comes  to  me  now  whether 
it  ought  not  to  be  done." 

"  That  would  break  the  heart  of  Captain  Scott  and 
some  of  the  rest  of  the  Maud's  ship's  company," 
added  Louis  with  a  smile. 


THE   HALL   OF   THE   EOYAL  MUMMIES         351 

"  We  will  not  decide  the  question  now,  for  I  should 
not  like  to  break  anybody's  heart;  we  may  have 
rough  seas,  and  it  is  evident  that  we  have  a  new  battle 
to  fight  with  the  Fatime.  It  would  be  safer  for 
you  and  the  others  to  be  on  board  of  the  Guardian- 
Mother." 

"  When  shall  we  sail,  Captain  ?  "  asked  Louis. 

"To-morrow,  I  think.  All  the  accounts  are  set- 
tled, and  there  is  nothing  to  detain  us  here  any  longer. 
Our  next  point  will  be  Port  Said,  and  we  are  not  yet 
quite  done  with  Egypt.  Your  mother  and  Mrs.  Blos- 
som will  certainly  desire  to  see  Mount  Sinai,  which  is 
in  Asia.  After  dinner  we  will  meet  and  settle  all 
pressing  questions,"  said  the  commander,  as  he  glanced 
at  the  Pacha's  steamer,  which  appeared  to  be  a  stand- 
ing threat. 

Before  they  retired  that  night  it  was  decided  that 
the  Maud  should  not  be  taken  out  of  the  water  at 
present,  though  the  question  would  come  up  again  at 
Suez.  On  the  following  day  the  Guardian-Mother 
sailed  from  Alexandria,  closely  followed  by  the  Maud. 
The  Patime  had  disappeared  in  the  early  morning,  but 
she  was  discovered  again,  headed  to  the  eastward,  off 
the  Bay  of  Abukir ;  and  it  was  evident  that  she  was 
ready  for  business  in  the  hands  of  her  present  reck- 
less and  unprincipled  commander.  It  was  apparent 
to  Louis  Belgrave  that  the  "Big  Pour"  were  to  be  more 
abundantly  supplied  with  adventures  during  the  next 
two  or  three  months  than  they  had  been  in  "  The 
Land  of  Egypt." 


352  IIP    AND   DOWN   THE   NILE 

If  Captain  Einggold  was  still  cool  and  self-possessed, 
he  was  more  anxious  than  he  had  been  before  for 
months,  for  the  seas  and  the  countries  the  All-Over- 
The- World  excursionists  were  yet  to  visit  were  more 
favorable  than  before  to  the  operations  of  such  a  pirate 
as  Captain  Mazagan.  It  was  watch  and  wait,  always 
ready,  with  him.  What  fortunes  and  misfortunes 
awaited  him  and  the  "  Big  Four,"  with  what  the  party 
saw  and  what  they  learned,  will  be  duly  chronicled  in 
"  Asiatic  Breezes ;  or,  Students  on  the  Wing." 


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